New Tennessee State Rep. London Lamar Says State Full of Racists

UPDATE: The Tennessee Star has retrieved the video – see more details here.

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The newly elected state representative for Tennessee’s 91st district livestreamed a 15-minute rant on Facebook Wednesday and, said, among other things, Tennessee is a racist state and full of uneducated Republicans.

That newly-elected representative, London Lamar, a Democrat from Memphis, also reprimanded white men for wanting to keep more of the money they earn.

Lamar also suggested allowing felons to vote will help elect more Democrats.

“Looking here at Tennessee, let’s just call a spade a spade,” Lamar said in the video.

“Tennessee is racist, period. Period. And if you for one moment thought that white people in Tennessee were going to leave their own to jump over here and give us more access, they just told you last night it’s not happening.”

Lamar said her video was also “a letter to all our statewide political consultants and candidates.” She warned against “catering to Republicans.”

“If we look at some of the numbers last night, white men voted Republican well over 60 or 70 percent,” Lamar said.

“Obviously, that is a particular base of people who believe in superiority. They don’t believe in sharing their wealth. They don’t believe in sharing resources. They believe that you need to work for your own, and they went to the polls and voted.”

Over half of Tennessee’s white women, Lamar went on to say, voted against their own interests Tuesday by helping elect Marsha Blackburn to the U.S. Senate.

Lamar then faulted Republican Gov.-Elect Bill Lee for supporting school vouchers and not wanting to expand Medicaid.

“Most of the Tennesseans who voted Republican are uneducated, so they don’t even know that they went to the polls to vote against their own interests,” Lamar said.

“They literally voted on color lines. In Tennessee, we voted based on race. Not that any of our statewide candidates were black or a minority. It was the fact that they were going to support issues to help uplift the minority community and that is what they voted against.”

Lamar then called upon the black community to start organizing.

“These people — I don’t want to say these white people — in Tennessee have voted against you and not just a little bit but by a lot of bit. Who is your real enemy here?” Lamar asked.

“This is no different than 1968. The only difference is they can’t necessarily hang us by a noose or outwardly kick us out of restaurants, but they are still exercising their right to vote and they are still supporting candidates that openly express they will oppress our communities.”

Lamar then said “right-wing crazies” have replaced moderate Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly.

Lamar then referenced Florida, where, this week, voters passed Amendment Four, which, according to Ballotpedia, will restore voting rights for people with prior felony convictions. The amendment exempts those convicted of murder or a felony sexual offense, upon completion of their sentences, including prison, parole, and probation.

Lamar tied this in to Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum.

“What if that amendment had passed, and all of those felons had a chance to vote for Gillum?” Lamar asked.

“He would probably be governor. That’s a clear example of a voter suppression tactic.”

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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].

 

 

 

 

 

 

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53 Thoughts to “New Tennessee State Rep. London Lamar Says State Full of Racists”

  1. […] Speaker Casada was Representative London Lamar (D-Memphis), who The Star initially reported on for calling Tennesseans racists and uneducated and then later for campaign reporting violations for which she was granted leniency from the […]

    1. Ronnie

      This is so not true about Tennessee . This is just not right.

  2. RA

    Ms. Lamar is correct on all points but one. There is no fault in demanding that people work for what they want. Aside from that, she is spot on.

  3. Ragnar Danneskjold

    She says that Florida’s previous law whereby felons lost the right to vote was racist? Well, it was put in place back in 1838, when blacks could not vote and indians likewise were not considered citizens. It could only affect whites. So it was hardly racist.

  4. […] As reported, on the video, Lamar, among other things, reprimanded white men for wanting to keep more of the money they earn. Lamar also suggested allowing felons to vote will help elect more Democrats. […]

  5. […] As reported, Lamar livestreamed those controversial comments on her Facebook page last week. She removed the video a few days later, but only after The Tennessee Star broke the story last weekend. The story has since gone viral worldwide. […]

  6. Kalee

    If Carol Swaim had qualified to run in Dist 91 instead of Ms Lamar, I would have voted for Swaim – not because of the color of her skin, but the content of her character. Ms Lamar was elected in her district – not because of the quality of her character, but b/c she was black, like the majority of Dist 91 voters, and they were promised free goodies from the government till. Period. Now, which scenario is racist, irresponsible, ignorant, covetous, and greedily materialistic? Do they even understand MLK’s philosophy? Will they ever be freed from Uncle Sam’s plantation with this dependence mentality? Liberty requires responsibility. Captivity is the easy way out.

  7. DP

    The only bigot I see is her!

    1. She said all the whites voted the color line, so they are racist, is that notwhat most blacks did for Obama, vote the color line? So that would make them all racist.

  8. mark t

    Blacks standing up for their race are called “activist”. Whites standing up for their race are “racists”. Very simple.

  9. Greg H.

    “Obviously, that is a particular base of people who believe in superiority. They don’t believe in sharing their wealth. They don’t believe in sharing resources. They believe that you need to work for your own, and they went to the polls and voted.”
    ==================================
    Geez, she said all that like it’s a BAD thing!

  10. Jason Starr

    Here’s some “RACIST” information, if London Lamar were WHITE, she would have LOST the election!

  11. Gayle

    And now her true colors come out!

  12. Cathy

    This is what you get when you vote because you want to prove your not racist by voting for color instead of principles of a candidate. As long as people are going to let others make them feel guilty because of your color, this is what you are going to get. They only know intimidation so it’s up to the people who voted for this RACIST BIGOT Democrat to stop feeling guilty and stop being intimidated and vote for who is best for the job and not to prove anything to anyone.

  13. Marissas

    My God. Y’all just KEEP ON and KEEP ON electing these people!

  14. Don Shaw

    Since when is work such a dirty and racist word? This woman has power in the government now, why don’t she give us the power she has, and we won’t have to worry about money, because you know what they say about power. ( Power corrupts, and total power corrupts totally).

    1. Barbara A Glover

      Money and Power corrupts more money more corruption.

  15. Don Shaw

    This woman has power in the government now, why don’t she give us the power she has, and we won’t have to worry about money, because you know what they say about power. ( Power corrupts, and total power corrupts totally).

  16. Debbie

    You had better get rid of her before she ruins Tennessee like the far left did Michigan, California and Chicago. What a complete idiot!

  17. Carol Nabors

    I lived in Tennessee for 28 years and this is not the way the locals feel. We believe in live and let live with races generally getting along. This young elected official with a bad attitude is trying to hurt race relations.
    She needs to get rid of the chip on her shoulder and stay out of my hard earned pocketbook.

  18. Irene

    I love Tennessee and it’s people. To see that residents actually voted for an all out Racist leaves me to believe that I missed something about the intellect of people who could have been so wrong in their choice of elected official London Lamar. People must have been under the impression that she was a honest and fair candidate that would be good for there community. Now that she has openly stated what she is (Racist), the community should request another vote or at least demand her resignation because she has proven that she could never represent the community as a whole. She will only look out for the interest of people who are Racist (same thinkers ). There are a lot of good people both black and white that need bipartisan support from elected officials. Tennessee residents need to be appalled and demand removal of this person for having lied to her voter population.

    1. Kevin

      Uh have you been to Memphis? LOL

    2. Linda Brune

      If Tennessee has recall laws, they need to implement them NOW before that woman does damage to the people who elected her. She has a job to do and it does not include her bitching and moaning about white people! I am appalled that anyone …white or black…would have the nerve to make such egregious statements! Send her home!!

    3. Rick L

      She is in a heavily black district and with them supporting her Im going to assume they feel the same way she does. Looks like THEY are the real racists. Just sayin’

  19. […] the video from Lamar’s Facebook page, originally published on Wednesday, did so only hours after The Star published a story about the video and linked to it in a story published shortly after midnight Thursday/Friday. But early Friday […]

  20. Did you download the video? She just took it down.

  21. Cyndy Alvarado

    “call a spade a spade”…really??? Ignorance really is bliss!!

  22. Cathy Cariota

    I am an educated woman that voted for the best person for the job. There was no color blinds on my face. I’m sorry you feel this way. I voted for the person that will take care of our state and work diligently with our President to better promote America as One Nation Under God . I want America first! Feed our homeless , give them shelter , take care of our Veterans during and after they have served . When our homeless shelters are empty and not in use by Americans then we can help other’s who come LEGALLY. If you think our people in the streets needing these things to include health care , mental health care are all white, you are wrong. They are from every nationality and walks of life . They deserve to come first. Our Vererans should never want or need for anything after their service. We need people in place with that same vision making America better again, NOT THE DIVISION !

  23. Dean

    Its obvious that in TN it’s , of course, in no way ok for a white person to show any type of racism but its completely ok for a black person, even one that holds office, to spew it all over the internet publicly and be praised for it?????

  24. Amy

    She needs to lose her seat for this blatant racism hate speech..how is this even ok?

  25. KW

    This has to be the most offensive thing I’ve seen in a long time. I’m a paycheck to paycheck white woman with four kids and my husband and I both work and I don’t feel like I need to share money I don’t have. And racism? Correct me if I’m wrong but Isn’t that what she JUST did herself? She basically said white people are pieces of crap. So glad I don’t live here anymore. She would have never gotten my vote just off her attitude alone. Not because she’s a different color. Some of my best friends are minorities. Just an FYI. If you want better opportunities you got to work hard for it just like I have. I’m up to my ears in student loan debt because guess what? They don’t give scholarship opportunities to me like they do minorities. She needs to sit down somewhere and get a reality check. Not EVERY white person is how she is painting them to be. I’m gonna guess she won’t be reeelcted. And if she is shame on Tennessee for allowing people like this to be in a position to stir up things that wouldn’t be an issue if it wasn’t talked about CONSTANTLY.

    1. Ronnie A. Parsons

      I am a white man and work for a living and refuse to support welfare suppressed by the Democrats and lazy. The Democrats give food stamps and pay you welfare to stay ignorant
      The GOP has a job for you and opportunities you’ve never before had! Wake up and stop your whining
      You are not getting what I’ve worked for. Never!

  26. Mark Frederick

    She has the same ideas as Obama and all the things he thinks about HIMSELF and anybody looks what he did as president was set this Country back in race relations to the late 50’s and early 60’s. He and his Attorney General Eric Holder spiting out words of stupidity saying garbage like ” No black can commit racial hatred or even charged with it yet they committed racial attacks 10 to 1 while Eric Holder was Attorney General then they couldn’t get anymore out of line with his successor Loretta Lynch all she was is another Holder and she loved the spotlight. The young blacks invented a new game called The Knockout Game where they group together and one of them walks up behind they’re target all whites and suckerpunch a white old man or lady or drunk, homeless, elderly they would attack the helpless, these pigs attacked in groups both male and female and then they declared war on city, county and state law enforcement calling in shooting in some neighborhood and when the Law enforcement came they were gunned down by people waiting for them,these are just a few things LOWretta Lynch and Obama can be remembered by.

  27. Traditional Thinker

    Cohen and now Lamar? Memphis keeps turning out some real intelligent people…Where do these candidates come from, mental institutions? Outflow of sewage treatment plants? Your guess is as good as mine.

  28. Gregory

    Tennessee State Representative-Elect London Lamar, speaking in reference to Caucasian males, declares: “They believe that you need to work for your own….”

    Wow, so expecting you to support your capable and able-bodied self–without being propped up with subsidies of the fruits of someone else’s labors–is deemed in the year 2018 to be a social injustice.

    This twisted logic and sense of ethnic entitlement is why sane and rational Caucasians, of both genders, no longer vote Democrat.

  29. Bill

    White men voted more than 60 to 70 percent Republican? And ? Is it a crime to vote with conscience or moral standards in mind these days? Is the Republican party pushing slave ownership or something? Hardly. There’s a hard truth that usually comes from those who cry racism. That truth is that they themselves are the actual racist. Intelligence when casting a vote for our leaders in a free world should never be misconstrued as racist. However, ignorance casts votes for those whose only platform centers around racism. The irony these days is that it’s being touted louder than it was in the days of segregation for the mere purpose of control and power. Ignorance is as ignorance does I guess.–Forrest Gump

  30. Yeah, for a closeup look at the racists look in the mirror! LOL!

    1. Tommy Johnson

      My thoughts Exactly!!

  31. Jim Bob Lassiter

    Another “very low IQ individual” strikes again.

  32. Josh Read

    This is Henri Brooks 2.0. That didnt work out well for Brooks and it wont likely work out well for Lamar. Just being hateful eventually loses you your own constituency.

  33. tballard

    Same old song and dance. The tune never changes.

  34. Wayne Forkum

    She should know, she is the biggest racist in Tennessee.

  35. Sharon Wingo

    Unbelievable. Socialism in action.

  36. RUSS CROUCH

    why is it that every time a Dem. wants to make any argument it is about race? Can you not make a point without race?

  37. Sam Lane

    Oh no..another real live walking talking pure Racist POS…Way to go Tenn.

  38. paulJ

    So by Miss Lamar’s calculations 30% of white men voted against their interests so Miss Lamar’s people could have more of their money and other vibrancy and diversity-related science. Conversely, less than 5% of Miss Lamar’s people (black women) voted unselfishly as per usual 95% of black women voted Democrat. The lack of diversity of thought and selfishness of black women is something the media should point out and castigate them for.

  39. “Looking here at Tennessee, let’s just call a spade a spade,” Lamar said in the video.
    Do I really need to?

    Ignorance has overtaken the dem party, to embarrassing levels. As soon as you see their lips move, you just have to tune them all out. They can’t win at anything on a legit level, so they need to gutter-dive with the name calling, the lies, the crimes and the unfounded, false accusations. How sad.

    Let’s see how amazing Ms. Lamar is in office. My guess is she’ll further erode and destroy the very community she swore to represent, just like the dems have nationally, for over 60 years.

    1. Zoe

      I thought we weren’t allowed to reference the word spade when around African Americans.

    2. TS

      Hopefully her rant will stir up the republicans for 2020! There is no bigger racist than the ones who continually cry racism where there is none!!

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