Not So Fast: Tennessee Woketivist Fans Race Flames With Viral Photo—Then the Facts Wreck the Narrative

Of all the cards they love to play, the Democrats' favorite undoubtedly has been the race card, which they've played with near-total impunity for decades.

We've seen that a lot in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision in the Louisiana v. Callais case, which ruled that congressional redistricting based solely on race is unconstitutional. Democrats have made a lot of references, for example, to what they describe as the "new Jim Crow South," while leaving out the inconvenient fact that Jim Crow laws, as they are widely understood, were put in place by Democrats.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) was among the many who deliberately used racially charged language to try to stoke fears, tweeting that "Confederate states are rushing through rigged maps to erase Black districts off the map," when he knows good and darned well that the "Confederate states" designation is a thing of the past, not the present.

Not to be outdone, an infamous Tennessee woketivist who also happens to be a member of the state legislature did some racial fan-flaming of his own, with a little help from the Very Online Left and a photojournalist with The Tennessean newspaper.

It involves state Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), who engaged in multiple meltdowns after the General Assembly passed a new map last Thursday that, if it stands, would effectively ruin any chance he might have of winning the primary for the 9th Congressional District, currently held by Democrat Steven Cohen, let alone win the seat itself outright.

In the photo below, we see Pearson strategically posing in front of the Sergeant at Arms as he is prevented from entering 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’s (D-Memphis) entry into a Senate Committee meeting where discussion of remapping his congressional district was being considered. pic.twitter.com/w4TXTqTu1y
— Gene Bryant (@GeneBryant2) May 8, 2026

Naturally, leftist influencers and their followers jumped all over the image as being symbolic of southern white authority figures denying a black man a seat at the table. This purported lawyer was one of many who were fooled:

If this photo is not in contention for the Pulitzer this year, I don't know what should be. This encapsulates the hatred, the racism, the bigotry in one clean, clear photo. https://t.co/9QnirxBjFk
— Tom Ryan (@tomryanlaw) May 9, 2026

The Tennessean newspaper lovingly helped set the narrative for such hot takes with how they framed the photo in a news article highlighting photographer Nicole Hester's work.

"All of her photos from this past week share a visceral quality that harkens back to some of the iconic imagery from the civil rights movement," they wrote.

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 along (language warning):

The KKK is alive and well in Tennessee. The Sargeant of Arms blocks Representative Justin Pearson from entering a committee meeting about redrawing the map specifically for the district he represents.
FUCKING SHAMEFUL! pic.twitter.com/YGM2ICrCVE
— MP Arizona☀️🏳️‍🌈💙🌵🐕🐕‍🦺🫂💦🏜🐟🌴🎙🌎🌻♍️🌊 (@AzPetrich) May 7, 2026

There is so much wrong here that it's hard to know where to start.

As discerning readers probably picked up on already, it was a meeting of a state Senate committee, not a House committee. Pearson serves in the House, not the Senate. He was not being blocked from entering the House floor.

Secondly, he wasn't being "stripped of office." He's running for the 9th Congressional District seat, as noted above. He does not "represent" that Congressional district (and probably wouldn't even if the new map didn't get passed - Cohen has defeated many primary challengers in the majority-minority district in the past, including black challengers).

Third, he's 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 (D-Memphis), and many others on the House and Senate side.

Social media netizens mindlessly retweeting the photo with its false description was one thing. But why did Pearson also share it while knowing the facts didn't in any way match up with how it was described?

Because for Democrats, the theatrics are the point, regardless of whatever the reality of the matter actually is. This is especially true when it comes to race, as Pearson has repeatedly demonstrated throughout his short, stunt-filled political career:

Can someone tell me what causes such a drastic personality shift like this? pic.twitter.com/rdIusjttR4
— Amiri King (@AmiriKing) May 10, 2026

Watch this. Two completely different Justin Pearsons in one clip. Hold on until 26 seconds to hear what he sounds like today. The tone, the voice, the whole demeanor, it’s all changed. This guy is 100% fake. A total act. pic.twitter.com/lbutOshlch
— Woodbridge GOP (@WoodbridgeGOP) May 7, 2026

Cosplaying as a civil rights leader from the 1960s to stoke racial animosity is completely on brand for Democrats. https://t.co/Qbmu6EQAnc
— Matthew Kolken (@mkolken) May 10, 2026

Such insulting antics might be one of the many reasons why more black and Hispanic voters are shifting to either the Republican Party or to an independent/unaffiliated registration, being sick and tired of the lies and manipulation from 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:

Again - Democrats are considering firing 2 black Virginia Supreme Court justices - including the first black woman to ever serve on the Court…

So that white 3x loser Dan Helmer can have an easier district to run in. https://t.co/0ShErlVXtB pic.twitter.com/AmKpvxWfFZ
— Matt Whitlock (@MattWhitlock) May 10, 2026

Mind you, Obama was advocating for voters in Virginia to do this exact thing 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 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

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