Tennessee Woketivist Fans Race Flames With Viral Photo—Then the Facts Wreck the Narrative – RedState
Of all the cards they like to play, Democrats’ favorite is undoubtedly the race card, which they have played with impunity for decades.
We have often seen this following the Supreme Court’s decision in the case Louisiana v. Callais case, which ruled that congressional redistricting based solely on race was unconstitutional. Democrats have made many references, for example, to what they describe as the “new Jim Crow South,” while leaving aside the inconvenient fact that Jim Crow laws, as they are widely understood, were put in place by Democrats.
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) was among many who deliberately used racist language to try to stoke fears, tweeting that “Confederate States are rushing rigged maps to erase black districts from the map” despite knowing full well that the designation “Confederate States” is a thing of the past, not the present.
SEE ALSO: The collapse of VA’s redistricting decision begins
Not to be outdone, a famous woketivist from Tennessee, who also happens to be a member of the state legislature, launched racial attacks on his fans himself, with the help of the Very Online Left and a photojournalist from The Tennessean newspaper.
That involves state Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), who engaged in multiple meltdowns after the General Assembly passed a new map last Thursday that, if upheld, would effectively ruin any chance he might have of winning the primary for the 9th Congressional District, currently held by Democrat Steven Cohen, much less winning the seat himself.
In the photo below, we see Pearson posing strategically in front of the Sergeant-at-Arms while he is blocked from attending a Senate committee meeting:
This image by Pulitzer Prize finalist photographer Nicole Hester for The Tennessean shows a Capitol sergeant-at-arms blocking Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) from entering a Senate committee meeting where a discussion on redrawing his congressional district was being considered. pic.twitter.com/w4TXTqTu1y
– Gene Bryant (@GeneBryant2) May 8, 2026
Naturally, left-wing influencers and their supporters jumped on the image as being symbolic of white Southern authority figures refusing a black man a seat at the table. This so-called lawyer was one of many who were deceived:
If this photo isn’t in the running for the Pulitzer this year, I don’t know what should be. It sums up the hatred, the racism, the bigotry in one sharp, clear photo. https://t.co/9QnirxBjFk
-Tom Ryan (@tomryanlaw) May 9, 2026
The Tennessean Journal lovingly helped define the narrative behind such hot shots with the way they framed the photo in a news article highlighting the work of photographer Nicole Hester.
“All of his photos from the past week share a visceral quality that recalls some iconic images from the civil rights movement,” they wrote.
SEE ALSO: Postscript to Tennessee Democrats’ redistricting collapse is just a kiss from the boss
As of this writing, the tweet below, which also includes the photo, has over 20,000 retweets, with Pearson being one of them who pushed it (linguistic warning):
The KKK is alive and well in Tennessee. The Sergeant at Arms blocks Rep. Justin Pearson from attending a committee meeting to redraw the map specifically for the district he represents.
FUCKING SHAME! pic.twitter.com/YGM2ICrCVE— Arizona Congressman☀️🏳️🌈💙🌵🐕🐕🦺🫂💦🏜🐟🌴🎙🌎🌻♍️🌊 (@AzPetrich) May 7, 2026
There are so many issues here that it’s hard to know where to start.
As savvy readers have probably already noticed, this was a meeting of a state Senate committee, not a House committee. Pearson sits in the House, not the Senate. He was not prevented from entering the upper floor of the house.
Second, he was not “removed from office.” He is running for the 9th Congressional District seat, as noted above. He does not “represent” this congressional district (and probably would not even if the new map were not adopted – Cohen has defeated many primary challengers in the majority-minority district in the past, including black challengers).
Third, he is not the only black lawmaker in the Tennessee General Assembly. His fellow woketivist, Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville), serves alongside him in the House. He was seen on video burning a paper version of the Confederate flag amid the redistricting debate. There is also Rep. Larry Miller (Memphis Democrat) and many others on both the House and Senate sides.
Social media users mindlessly retweeting the photo with its false description was one thing. But why did Pearson also share it when he knew the facts were in no way how they had been described?
Because for Democrats, the issue is theatricality, regardless of the reality of the issue. This is especially true when it comes to race, as Pearson has demonstrated repeatedly throughout his short, stunt-filled political career:
Can anyone tell me what causes such a drastic personality change like this? pic.twitter.com/rdIusjttR4
– Amiri King (@AmiriKing) May 10, 2026
Look at this. Two completely different Justin Pearsons in one clip. Wait 26 seconds to hear what he sounds like today. The tone, the voice, the whole behavior, everything has changed. This guy is 100% fake. A total act. pic.twitter.com/lbutOshlch
— Woodbridge GOP (@WoodbridgeGOP) May 7, 2026
Posing as a civil rights leader in the 1960s to stir up racial animosity is all the rage for Democrats. https://t.co/Qbmu6EQAnc
– Matthieu Kolken (@mkolken) May 10, 2026
Such insulting antics could be one of the many reasons why more and more black and Hispanic voters are turning to the Republican Party or independent/unaffiliated registration, fed up with the lies and manipulation of Democrats who, in reality, will say and do anything to retain power – including trampling all over the very groups of people they claim to want to help:
Once again, Democrats are considering firing two Black Virginia Supreme Court justices, including the first Black woman to serve on the Court…
So that 3x white loser Dan Helmer could have an easier district in which to run. https://t.co/0ShErlVXtB pic.twitter.com/AmKpvxWfFZ
-Matt Whitlock (@MattWhitlock) May 10, 2026
Mind you, Obama made the case for Virginia voters to do just that last week when they erased two VRA districts in favor of political gerrymanders. https://t.co/09rgjkHGO4
– Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) April 30, 2026
Democrats keep reaffirming who they really are, and voters should believe them.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 midterm elections will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both houses of Congress.
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