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Justice Requires More Than Words

From May 5 through May 7, Tennesseans gathered at the State Capitol as lawmakers moved to redraw congressional maps—threatening to eliminate Memphis’ majority-Black 9th Congressional District.

By the time you read this, the special session called by Governor Bill Lee will have concluded. But what happened inside the chambers is only part of the story. What happened outside matters just as much.

While decisions were being made inside—the people were bearing witness outside.

From Tuesday through Thursday, people gathered not only to protest, but to pray.

On Tuesday, May 5, I was invited to offer a prayer at the Protect the South Rally organized by grassroots organizations throughout the state. I prayed to prepare those gathered to speak truth to power for the work that continues after amen. That prayer reminded us: we are not alone. We are surrounded by the ancestors, a great cloud of witnesses, who fought for our human rights, and we are bound together in love and purpose.

Throughout the week, prayer became a form of dissent.

Voices lifted.

Hands joined.

Bodies remained present.

This was not passive resistance.

This was sacred resistance.

How did we get here?

To understand this moment, we must name how we got here.

The Supreme Court of the United States has weakened key protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965—most notably through Shelby County v. Holder. Without those safeguards, states can redraw districts in ways that fragment and silence communities.

This effort targeted the last majority-Black congressional district in Tennessee. As State Representative Sam McKenzie said plainly, it sought to “decimate” a concentrated African American voting base by dividing it across multiple districts.

We have seen this before in Nashville. Now Memphis faces the same pattern.

It denies representation.

It disregards the will of the people.

It diminishes human dignity.

At Scarritt Bennett Center, we believe justice work is sacred work. Even when laws are passed, the work is not over.

Because democracy is not only shaped in legislative chambers—it is shaped by the people who refuse to be silent.