We're going to take you straight
to Memphis,
where Justin
Pearson, just days after being expelled
from the Tennessee state
legislature and has been reinsta
by a Tennessee county board.
Let's listen in. Okay.
We have not given up
educational resources to help
And so why you guilty people.
The people got a message
we don't know
We don't believe.
No,
we don't believe this
We don't believe this.
You.
You know,
we don't feel this
because we are convinced that
there's a different vision from
There's a different vision
for Shelby County.
There's a different vision for T
From the South.
But the United States of America
But I believe I believe in the v
of the people
who left the country
to come to the world.
I believe it is a vision of othe
who've been marginalized
to the world.
I believe it
and ostracized to the, well,
white people.
But I think we're broken
hope that
justice.
Why
not, right?
I know
right now
it is this room
that's going to change this coun
In this moment in time.
I've got to change the country.
Oh, I'm so glad.
Yes, I'm glad.
Oh, God.
Yeah.
So.
I'm so glad.
That everybody else on
that is going to again,
get done
that. She's done it again.
God damn it again.
Oh, they don't vote
That was real.
One
Sunday with real
CNN national correspondent Ryan
is there in Memphis for us.
Ryan, you've been following
this show closely.
We can feel the energy
coming through the TV here.
I'm sure you're certainly
feeling it there in person.
Yeah,
yeah. It's unreal.
If you think about how this is p
last Thursday,
when all the swelling of people
showed up, the emotion as it was
and it was cold
and people went upstairs
and they were willing to sit out
for a long period of time
so this wouldn't happen.
And then when it did happen,
it seems like lightning has hit
because not only have
people got behind Justin
Jay Pearson,
but now they're behind Justin Jo
and all that with Representative
right behind them.
You listen to all this energy.
You see the people here
who are basically there
at a church service outside.
But then you couple that with a
from Dr.
King with
thinking about the Lorraine Mote
and the fact that it's 54 years
that he was assassinated.
You understand that the fight he
They're saying it's about gun vi
a lot of people
who are galvanized by that.
So this is less about race.
And more about safety.
And that's what
they've been talking about all d
So as you walk around here,
you see people with signs
who are talking about gun violen
Look at this crowd, though.
Look at how people are standing
They've been doing this for hour
And we've seen this over and ove
inside that county commission ro
You heard people saying
they were ready to pass the bato
to someone younger
They believe Justin
Jay Pearson is that person.
Now, there's some parts of this
that we have to talk about.
They do have to get the minutes
from that meeting today
to the state capitol.
The plan is once
it gets there tomorrow morning
before the session starts.
They plan to swear him in
on the steps of the Capitol agai
And National that happened.
The same thing with Justin Jones
and that was a powerful moment a
So you feel that groundswell?
Maybe about a week ago,
no one knew
who these young men were
outside the state of Tennessee.
So big difference now,
you had a vice president show up
You've got people all across the
looking these young men on talk
And they feel galvanized
by the fact
that folks
are leaning in to this moment,
especially with all the gun viol
that's happening across this cou
And then we heard from a woman w
you know, patted you on the back
You stopped
and got some great information,
just some color from her.
Ryan,
on the way out of that meeting
where she said we felt
our voices weren't being heard.
And now she feels that in Justin
that she is being heard
specifically when it comes to is
like gun violence.
Ryan, we'll continue to check in
with you.
Hang in there for us, if you wou
We do also want to welcome
now a Democratic member of the T
State House, Representative Jaso
Sir, good to have you with us.
I guess your first question,
understandably, is
what's your reaction to what we
seeing now? Play out in Memphis
I'm very excited.
This is a movement that has is u
I'm so excited to have my collea
Justin Jay Pierson back
already have my colleague here
from Nashville.
Justin Jones back with us.
You know, I personally have been affected
by gun violence.
This hit very close to home.
I am a father.
I have a son who is in third gra
He's nine years old.
I was at my son's school
reading to his class the morning
that this shooting happened
at Covenant School.
The little boy that was murdered
is a member and was on a team,
the Reds in the grief
hall Little League where my son
That's how close this hits to ho
And I am so energized and excite
hopeful
that we are going to finally tac
this issue of gun violence
in the state of Tennessee.
But the excitement today
is about Representative
Pierson, Representative Jones
coming back,
fighting against this
undemocratic process
that we saw in the state of Tenn
where they were expelled for off
It was a shame.
But the people have spoken.
The county commission in Shelby
do the right thing today.
The people of Nashville
and our city council do the righ
We have reappointed our colleagu
and we are going to continue
on this movement.
Continue to fight for true
gun reform and stop gun violence
in the United States of America
and make the
the starting point here in Nashv
And in Tennessee.
Yeah. And your personal history and ex
there with gun
violence is indicative
on what
so many millions of Americans ex
One in five
American families has been impac
in some way, shape or form
by gun violence.
I know this is a very important
for you.
And we continue to hear from Jus
and Justin Pearson
that they keep coming back to th
that this is not about them.
It's about the mission that they
on, the fight for gun control
that they were pursuing.
I'm just curious, given
everything that we've seen
and the tragedy
unfold in your state
and obviously in Kentucky as wel
just yesterday,
Governor Lee, in your state of T
signed an executive order
aimed at strengthening backgroun
for firearm purchases.
Is that, in your view, a step fo
step in the direction of the fig
where you're wanting to take thi
Well, we need to go very far.
There are so many different laws
that we need to tackle.
Temporary transfer
is a important thing
that we need to look at.
Hopeful that we can pass
some of these laws.
But, you know, just several year
I myself tried to pass a law
that would have taken away
guns from people that showed up
no fly list.
These are some of those
dangerous possible individuals o
And this was when we still had p
That law failed.
My attempt to do that failed.
Now we have no permits.
For these handguns
in the state of Tennessee.
We need to make sure that we tak
action, real gun reform.
That's what people want.
We need to make real change and
every possible law that we can.
I'm
hopeful
that our governor and others will listen
and create
true reform
we've heard this in the past, bu
clearly the people have spoken.
People continue to show up
by the thousands
in our state capitol,
not just in our state capitol,
but in Memphis.
And across
Tennessee to demand true gun ref
And that's what we must have.
I mean, this issue goes back.
I was a student in college in Co
when Columbine happened.
1 a.m. I played college football
One of my teammates there.
His one of his family members
and multiple friends
had family members at Columbine.
And that was a mass shooting
that dates back to 25 years ago.
And we are still dealing with th
Let's tackle true gun reform,
make Nashville,
Tennessee, the starting place
that will create a wave
across the nation.
That's what you're saying.
And that's why
so many people are galvanized an
and hopeful and in behind myself
Representative Jones,
Representative Pierson,
Representative Johnson,
we are going to be the launching
for true gun violence reform
across this country.
Tennessee State
Representative Jason Powell,
appreciate you
taking the time to join us.
We will be watching and followin