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].
And now her true colors come out!
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.
My God. Y’all just KEEP ON and KEEP ON electing these people!
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).
Money and Power corrupts more money more corruption.
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).
You had better get rid of her before she ruins Tennessee like the far left did Michigan, California and Chicago. What a complete idiot!
excellent post
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.
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.
Uh have you been to Memphis? LOL
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!!
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’
[…] 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 […]
Did you download the video? She just took it down.
“call a spade a spade”…really??? Ignorance really is bliss!!
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 !
So agree!
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?????
She needs to lose her seat for this blatant racism hate speech..how is this even ok?
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.
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!