Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones, one in all two Black Democrats expelled from the state legislature by way of their Republican colleagues previous this 12 months, has known as out an empty Juneteenth message from Tennessee Area Republicans.
“Would possibly no person be afflicted by slavery ever once more #Juneteenth,” the @tnhousegop account posted to Twitter on Monday.
“Attention-grabbing, wasn’t this y’all two months in the past @tnhousegop??” Jones tweeted in reaction, sharing a headline about his expulsion.
In April, a Republican supermajority expelled Jones and state Rep. Justin Pearson, either one of whom are Black, for becoming a member of protesters who chanted within the Area chamber in beef up of gun keep an eye on following a college capturing. The Area additionally held a vote on expelling Rep. Gloria Johnson, a white Democrat who in a similar way participated within the protest, however she controlled to stay her seat.
Native officers reinstated Jones and Pearson days later.
“Yall truly may just’ve simply saved quiet these days,” Democratic state Sen. Charlane Oliver wrote in line with the @tnhousegop tweet. “Yall expelled two Black contributors 75 days in the past.”
June 19 has lengthy been celebrated by way of Black American citizens as an afternoon commemorating the tip of slavery within the 1860s. In 2021, Congress voted overwhelmingly to make Juneteenth Nationwide Independence Day a federal vacation.