Thread by @kjchambers

While the nation only recently became familiar w/the blatant racism rampant in the #tnleg bc the expelling of @Justinjpearson and @brotherjones_, the @tnhousegop has a long history of Reps who haven't even bothered trying to hide who they are. A 🧵to bring you up to speed.

Note: I found so many examples that I actually had to sit down this morning to figure out if it made more sense to do it chronologically or by Rep. I decided to go by Rep. Buckle up, y'all. This is ugly.

Let's start with former Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver. In 2010, Weaver's first year in office, she posted a pic on social media of herself w/her pastor-who was in black face posing as Aunt Jemima. For a caption, Weaver wrote “Aunt Jemima, you is so sweet.”

When there was an immediate reaction in the press and among @TNDemocrats, Weaver responded, "I'm the least racist of anyone. Some of my greatest friends are black." nashvillescene.com/news/pithinthe…

Fast-forward to 2019 and the heated discussions around removing the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust in the TN Capitol. When protesters called TLW "racist" bc she didn't support the removal, what was her response? "Some of my best friends are black."

Next up is former Rep. Jerry Sexton. Where do I even begin? I remember Rep. Sexton best for the moment in committee when he waxed poetic about his hometown, Bean Station, which was "settled by the first white settlers in TN and had the first white baby born in the state of TN."

Not to be outdone, he made the following comments in opposition to removing the NBF bust from the TN Capitol: "What about the people who want the bust there? There's a lot of people that claim him to be a hero...I can't be a part of that." reddit.com/r/nashville/co…

He further stated in another committee, "It wasn't against the law to own slaves. And who knows, maybe some of us will be slaves one of these days? Laws change. And what about the people I represent that will be offended if we move this?”

https://twitter.com/TheTNHoller/status/1270472347653419010?s=20

And who could forget former rep. Sheila Butt (now county mayor), "famous" author of such gems as "Does God Love Michael's Two Daddies?" (spoiler alert: only if they repent) and "Everyday Princess: Daughter of the King." Let's talk about the latter for a moment since it's topical.

Here's a passage from that book: "Will dating someone of another race be helpful or beneficial? Understanding that you will eventually marry someone that you date, will you be just as happy for your children to grow up biracial? I have seen instances...

...when a young lady started dating someone of another race, and there were those of her own race who were not interested in dating her after that." nashvillescene.com/news/the-many-…

This is, of course, the same rep who posted on social media that "it is time for a Council on Christian Relations and an NAAWP in the Country." Butt initially stated she exactly what NAAWP was, then later backtracked and claimed she meant "Western Peoples." (see above citation)

Of course, as we all know, the NAAWP - the National Association for the Advancement of White People - was founded by David Duke after he left the KKK and still exists. Duke admitted that the NAAWP basically had the same beliefs as the KKK. encyclopedia.com/politics/legal…

Former rep. Courtney Rogers, discussing a bill she co-sponsored to defund UT's diversity office, waxed poetic about "diversity offices that are recruiting the best, from light meat to dark meat, across the entire spectrum."

As the @Tennessean noted, Rogers was "apparently describing students' racial demographics as meat." This happened my second year at the legislature (2016), and I remember my jaw dropping when I heard that comment. tennessean.com/story/news/pol…

The same Tennessean article notes that Former Repub. Rep. Micah Van Huss called the Confederate battle flag a “symbol of freedom” days after a counterprotester was killed at the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

He said Black Lives Matter was among “racist hate groups” like the KKK and neo-Nazis.
And in 2019, former Repub. Rep. Bruce Griffey said he wanted to “honor the African American slave experience" while explaining a resolution he was sponsoring related to birthright citizenship.

Current Repub Rep. Mike Sparks attempted to pass a resolution honoring Nathan Bedford Forrest in 2017, but it was killed in committee. Not to be outdone, Sparks introduced a resolution honoring an author who wrote about the "redemption" of Nathan Bedford Forrest...

...and INSERTED PART OF HIS ORIGINAL RESOLUTION HONORING NBF into the new resolution! It was buried in a HUGE consent calendar toward the end of session and passed unanimously. Note: consent calendars are supposed to be used for non-controversial bills and resolutions.

When legislators realized what happened, they unsuccessfully attempted to void the resolution. Dem. Rep. Hardaway stated, “The worst thing about what has happened … is the deception. You can’t be an effective legislator in the TGA unless your fellow legislators can trust you...

...and that bond is broken." memphisdailynews.com/news/2017/may/…

Are y'all tired and completely disgusted yet? I still have so much more to include but have to take a break for a minute to clear my head and get ready for the next wave of tweets. Will be right back.

...and we're back. While discussing Dem. Rep. Joe Towns' bill to outlaw chain gangs, former Repub. Rep. and State Government committee chair commented that he didn't understand why chain gangs were dehumanizing before killing the bill. Watch.

In 2020, former Repub Rep Mike Carter, who is white, called on Dem Rep Joe Towns, who is black, during a subcommittee meeting. When Towns didn't immediately respond, Carter said, "He's getting the secret formula to Kentucky Fried Chicken...Pretty concentrated on that."

Carter said he would let Towns "get the recipe" before calling on him again. tennessean.com/story/news/pol…

In 2019, Cade Cothren, Chief of Staff for Rep. Glen Casada, House Speaker, was forced to apologize for sending racist text messages a few years earlier. In the texts, Cothren said “Black people are idiots” and called a Black NFL player a “thug (n-word).” newschannel5.com/news/newschann…

In 2009, a Republican legislative assistant sent an email entitled "Historic Keepsake Photo" with a collage containing portraits of the previous 43 U.S. presidents and newly-elected President Obama. The problem?

Obama's picture was two cartoonish white eyes peering from a black background. When asked about the email, the staffer said she mistakenly sent the image "to the wrong list of people." cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/…

Btw, the staffer wasn't fired for this email sent on a state account and on state time to other Repub. staff members. nashvillescene.com/news/pithinthe…

Former @TNGOP Chair and political strategist Chip Saltsman sent a Christmas CD with the song "Barack the Magic Negro" to GOP committee members when he was running for national @GOP chair. The song was performed by an Al Sharpton impersonator. npr.org/templates/stor…

@TNGOP @GOP NOTE: Rumor has it that Saltsman is now running @CSexton25's campaign for governor and that one of Saltsman's political strategists is Sexton's Chief of Staff. Can't speak on that myself, but it's something to check into, no?

@TNGOP @GOP @CSexton25 And so we come full circle to the expulsion of @brotherjones_ and @Justinjpearson. Given the history I've just provided, it should come as no surprise to anyone that it happened. The House Republicans and TNGOP have shown us time and time again who they were. Believe them.

@TNGOP @GOP @CSexton25 @brotherjones_ @Justinjpearson Note: I have additional examples that I will post shortly, including reps who referred to Hispanic immigrants as "wetbacks," placed an anti-Muslim DVD in the legislature mailboxes of other repub reps, & wanted to use the TN National Guard to round up refugees and send them back.

@TNGOP @GOP @CSexton25 @brotherjones_ @Justinjpearson OMG. I didn't even post the retaliatory bills yet! In 2018, TN House Republicans voted to strip $250,000 from the city of Memphis as punishment for local lawmakers' removal of Confederate statues.

"You can call boo all you want," Rep. Parkinson (D-Memphis) said, "but let's call it for what it is. You remove money from a city because we removed your god from our grounds." usnews.com/news/national-…

I'll do another thread one day soon about retaliatory bills and amendments. But for today, I need to go outside and get the stench off me from this 🧵.