Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. G.A. Hardaway both called on a stronger response to the growing neo-Nazi threat in Nashville after a group of Black children musicians were verbally abused and harassed by white supremacists on July 20.
According to The Tennessean, Rep. Jones called attention to the rise in the presence of neo-Nazis and white supremacists in Nashville at a press conference on July 24.
“White nationalists verbally attacked and tried to intimidate these brilliant, beautiful, powerful young Black boys who were simply trying to play drums, and simply try to enjoy their summer break like any other child,” Jones said.
Jones referred to the act as an “act of intimidation that took us backward to darker days in our history.”
He continued, “We know that this is about a deeper systemic issue and about a deeper threat that we’re experiencing in our state and in our city right now, with the increasing rise of white nationalist terror that is targeting our children now.”
The children, 14-year-old Rontarius Wilson, 10-year-old Detonio Wilson, 11-year-old Kamond Williams, and nine-year-old Jaquial Forrest, are fixtures in downtown Nashville, known for drumming on plastic buckets to earn money.
An emotional Ashton Lee, mother of Forrest and a friend of the mother of the other three boys, said at the news conference that she was heartbroken when she realized they were the boys on the video she saw circulating on social media.
“It wasn’t right,” she said. “I moved to this city, which is supposed to be free. And it happened anyway. It just broke my heart.”
“It makes me feel some type of way, but I tell the boys that all the white people are not the same,” Lee continued. “They feel like everyone is against them, but they’re not.”
According to Lee, no other Tennessee lawmakers had reached out to her, which she described as “hurtful.”
“Everything y’all are doing is hurtful. Please show the children you care, and figure out what y’all can do to help these kids.” Lee pleaded.
According to The Tennessean, Hardaway also said that he is not surprised by the incident and questioned why white supremacists feel so comfortable publicly marching in his state. Hardaway also turned his attention to his fellow lawmakers in his statement at the press conference.
“I found (the video of the incident) to be disgusting. Deplorable,” Hardaway said. “To have grown men bully and attempt to intimidate little children is outrageous, in this day and time in Nashville, Tennessee.”
He continued, “There is a climate that’s been created by the vitriolic dialogue that’s going on in the political arena in particular and we’ve got to tone it down. Those who support white supremacy: We’re going to call you out.”
Rep. Jones created a GoFundMe for the children after the incident, which at press time has raised over $15,000 for the children.
Jones also called out the local police, writing: “Instead of being protected by the Metro Nashville Police Department, these young boys were told to leave by the police and were escorted a block away before being told to walk home by themselves while the neo-Nazis were allowed to continue their verbal attacks against others without consequence.”
Jones continued, “Drumming downtown has been an immense source of joy for these kids, and their parents described them as excited to go and perform for people walking through the city. This joy has been taken by the neo-Nazis whose racist abuse towards these young Black boys has created an unsafe environment. Furthermore, their families share that MNPD has repeatedly threatened to arrest these young boys for performing, and have refused to allow them the space to have Black joy in a downtown that belongs to all Nashvillians.”
Jones concluded, “We must continue to encourage and uplift them as deserving of space and freedom to have joy. This is about sending a clear message: Protect Black Kids.”
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