Underground Railroad 2.0: Faithful Resistance with Rep. Justin J. Pearson

Sponsor(s): TT Book

Episode Description: Important note: This episode of Truth’s Table was recorded earlier this year, before the Voting Rights Act was gutted. 

Truth’s Table is on the move! Christina and Ekemini are on location at the Tennessee State Capitol, sitting down with Representative Justin J. Pearson to talk about what faithful resistance demands in an era shaped by state violence, environmental racism, voter registration organizing, and the rising influence of white Christian nationalism. Rep. Pearson reflects on his faith and movement histories that ground his organizing work, including the ongoing fight against the expansion of the xAI data center and its impact on Memphis communities. This conversation is a way for Truth’s Table to model thoughtful engagement with our elected officials, and it’s an invitation for our sistas at the table to do the same. Pull up a seat at the table with us!  

Learn more about Rep. Justin J. Pearson: 

Justin J. Pearson launched his campaign for Tennessee’s Ninth Congressional District on October 8, 2025, declaring it “a campaign for The People.” A movement leader and Tennessee lawmaker, he rose to national prominence as part of the Tennessee Three, standing up for gun reform and being overwhelmingly reelected after expulsion. A lifelong organizer, he helped lead the victorious Byhalia Pipeline fight, shut down a cancer-causing sterilization plant, and now challenges Elon Musk’s xAI data center. The second-youngest state legislator, Pearson is a national voice for justice, honored with the Truman Center’s 2024 Moral Courage Award. He’s running to bring that fight to Congress. Pearson is married to his partner in life and the struggle for justice, Oceana R. Gilliam-Pearson. 

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