On May 7th, Tennessee Republicans split majority-Black Memphis into three congressional districts, wiping out the state’s only Black-majority seat and its lone Democratic one. Rep. Justin Pearson’s speech on the House floor following the vote was powerful and emotional.
We shared the video after his speech, but we’ve now added political commentary and details of what triggered Rep. Justin Pearson’s speech.
“We will still be here.”
Lawmakers changed state law to allow mid-decade redistricting and rammed the new map through in a special session — a direct response to the Supreme Court’s recent gutting of the Voting Rights Act.
Outside the chamber, protesters chanted “Hands off Memphis!” Inside, Democrats locked arms in protest. And Rep. Justin Pearson — who represents the 86th district and is currently running for Congress in the very seat Republicans just dismantled — rose to deliver this speech.
Pearson called the vote a “political lynching” that set Tennessee back 150 years. But watch him, in his own words, tell the colleagues stripping his community of representation: no matter what you do, we will still be here.
This is what an attack on Black political power looks like in 2026. And this is what refusing to be erased sounds like.
Rep. Justin Pearson Delivers Powerful, Passionate Speech
