Justin J. Pearson urged Democrats at the Congressional Black Caucus conference to center Black and working‑class voters rather than treat them as decorative afterthoughts. He condemned recent court and legislative moves that weakened Voting Rights Act protections and said the party must invest in the South and adopt bold, rapid government action on poverty, climate and corporate abuses. Pearson refuses corporate PAC money, supports public campaign financing and wants the CBC to use its growing numbers to push a bloc agenda for marginalized communities.
Justin J. Pearson: Democrats Must Center Black And Working‑Class Voters, Not Treat Them As ‘Ornaments’
(Photo: Getty Images)
Justin J. Pearson, the 31‑year‑old Tennessee state representative and Democratic nominee for the 9th Congressional District, told attendees at the Congressional Black Caucus' 55th Annual Legislative Conference that Democrats must put Black and working‑class voters at the center of their agenda rather than treating them as afterthoughts.
Why He Says Democrats Must Change
Pearson argued the party's status quo privileges entrenched interests over everyday people and urged a different vision that places poor, working‑class and marginalized communities at the heart of policy discussions. "People don't want to go back to how things were. I think people want a different vision for this country entirely that lifts up poor, working‑class, marginalized communities at the center of the conversation, not as the ornaments that you come to at the end," he said.
"What we now know more than ever before…is that government can do things very quickly. The question is, can we use government to do good quickly?" — Justin J. Pearson
Campaign, Money And Integrity
Pearson is running a people‑powered campaign after Tennessee Republicans redrew his previously majority‑Black district following a Supreme Court decision in April that weakened Voting Rights Act protections. He faces a tougher race against Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor but remains undeterred. Pearson refuses corporate PAC money and calls for public campaign financing, arguing that the millions spent on fundraising could instead be invested in housing, poverty reduction and services.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – AUGUST 21: State Representative Justin Pearson shouts while marching with other gun reform activists as they make their way to the Tennessee State Capitol ahead of a special session on August 21, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.(Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
Investment In The South And Voting Rights
Pearson criticized the Democratic Party for underinvesting in the South, which he says has allowed Republican control to become entrenched at every level. Citing his 2023 expulsion by Tennessee Republicans after a protest on the House floor — an expulsion voters quickly reversed by re‑electing him — he warned that redistricting and voter suppression have accelerated since the Supreme Court decision affecting the Voting Rights Act.
Policy Priorities And The Congressional Black Caucus
He urged Democrats to show they can use government to act quickly on pressing issues: tackle the climate crisis, launch a renewed war on poverty, stop corporate price gouging and curb conflicts of interest in Congress. Pearson, recently endorsed by the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, called on the CBC to leverage its growing membership to advance a bloc agenda addressing poverty, pollution from industrial development, and health‑care disparities.
Bottom line: Pearson emphasizes grassroots organizing, ethical fundraising, and sustained investment in the South as essential steps for Democrats to regain trust and produce tangible improvements for Black and working‑class communities.
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