By Rev. Donn

As my great grandparents aged they had to move in with their son, my grandfather, so that he could help care for them. My great grandfather (Albert) was extremely hard of hearing and back in those days his hearing aid unit was about the size of a pack of cigarettes and he’d have it in the front pocket of his shirt, in addition to this he was also stubborn and did not always follow doctor orders regarding his health. Occasionally my grandfather (Dale) would have to correct him, and when Dale would start to scold him my great-grandfather would look him in the eye and say, ‘Now Dale, I’m not going to listen to this,’ and he would take the hearing aid out of his pocket and turn it off. Now my grandfather Dale was trying to help him, trying to care for him, but because it wasn’t what he wanted to hear, my great grandfather would literally turn it off, even though it could help him.

You may have heard how recently two young Black members of the Tennessee General Assembly Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were expelled from the State Assembly because they spoke out in support of students who had come to the capitol to plead for lawmakers to reconsider gun reform measures after a shooter took the lives of 3 students and 3 staff members at the Covenant School in Nashville. But the conservative majority who continue to advocate for expansion of gun access, did not want to hear it so they voted to expel them, like my great-grandfather turning off his hearing aid.

But the expulsion of Jones and Pearson was not the first expulsion in history. As others have said it calls to mind the expulsion of the Original 33, the first Black legislators elected in Georgia back in 1868. This was after the Civil War and the hope of Reconstruction still lingered in the air. The Original 33, Black men, all part of the state’s Republican (pro-Reconstruction) minority, were elected to the state assembly in 1868, but in September 1868 they were expelled by the legislature’s Democratic (anti-Reconstruction) majority.

On September 19, 1868 one of the expelled representatives, Philip Joiner, announced a march from Albany, Georgia, to the Mitchell County Courthouse in Camilla, in protest of the expulsion. But the group of about 300 men was met with violence from White Mitchell County residents when they reached Camilla. It was reported that 15 marchers were killed and dozens injured.

Although the Original 33 were ultimately reinstated to the Georgia state legislature, none of them went on to be reelected. The voting franchise was key to ensuring representation in local, state, and federal government; the 15th  Amendment, granting Black men the right to vote, was not ratified until 1870, and already, Black people were often threatened if they chose to try to exercise that right. After the Camilla attack, there were increased reports of intimidation of and threats against Black Georgia voters; this resulted in fewer Black people even attempting to vote. And the hope and promise of Reconstruction quickly faded, replaced by violence and lynchings, Black Codes and Jim Crow laws, and renewed calls for segregation and separation.

155 years later we still have people turning off their hearing aids because they don’t like what is being said. But as Christians we are called to continue to share the good news of God’s vision for creation, of helping others see the image of God in all of God’s children and loving all of our neighbors as ourselves. I realize the challenge may seem overwhelming, but turning off our hearing aids will not help. We are called to speak out and to share the Good News of God’s love, God’s grace, and God’s vision.

God Bless