The Tennessee Legislature has recently garnered national attention with the attempted expulsion of three state representatives—and the eventual expulsion of Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson. An expulsion without criminal charges or an extensive investigation has not occurred in this legislature since before the Civil War, leaving many to ask precisely what happened, why and what this means for the future of state government and democracy at large.

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy hosted a virtual event on Thursday, April 13, to discuss the broader historical, political and spiritual context and to explore legislative effectiveness at the state level and the potential long-term impacts of last week’s events.

The conversation was moderated by Jon Meacham, acclaimed scholar, historian and co-chair of the Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy. Panelists for this discussion included Forrest Harris, director of Black Church Studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School, Bruce Oppenheimer, professor of political science, emeritus, and Jacob Mchangama, founder and director of Justitia and newly appointed director of the Future of Free Speech Project, which will be housed at Vanderbilt University.


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