People Think This Photo of Justin Pearson Standing Up to the KKK Should Win a Pulitzer

As Twitchy reported earlier this week, Democrats made a circus out of a routine special session at the Tennessee state Capitol over a supposedly racist new congressional map that would likely see the very pasty white Steve Cohen lose his job as representative of Memphis to a black Republican in the fall. As we reported, State Rep. Justin Pearson's brother was among those cleared from the gallery by state troopers. Pearson is on video getting in the face of one of the state troopers, calling him "Boy" and a motherf**ker. "My brother ain’t doing nothing to nobody … He’ll walk out by himself' and "Move the f*** back!" Pearson orders the troopers. Here's the video again.

BREAKING NEWS: State Rep. Justin Pearson gets in a wild rant with innocent Tennessee State Troopers. He got in the face of a white trooper and shouted in his face, "BOY!!!" He then called the trooper a "MOTHERF*****." The Tennessee Democrat Party MUST CONDEMN and expel this… pic.twitter.com/0AldAnQL8J
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) May 7, 2026

You'll remember that Pearson is one of the Tennessee Three who became so enamored by the mainstream media when they took over the House floor with bullhorns to scream about gun control.

Here's a video of Pearson from 2016, before he'd grown out his afro and gone with the code-switching profanity.

Justin Pearson was a normal, middle class clean cut black college student in 2016 when he ran for BSG president. He spoke about bringing together liberals and conservatives, to meet in the “radical middle” and waxed lyrical about the importance of “hearing every voice”. https://t.co/faED0Oi8WF pic.twitter.com/hfN6zaAmyA
— Aimee Terese (@aimeeterese) April 11, 2023

There's a photo of Pearson — a couple, actually — going around on X that some people are calling Pulitzer-level.

This is a Pulitzer level photo. https://t.co/o6RLmnIqXV
— Blue Georgia (@BlueGeorgia) May 7, 2026

If you look closely, it's a photo of the sergeant-at-arms blocking Pearson from a meeting of a committee of which he is not a member.

Pulitzer? A guy trying to break into a committee meeting that he wasn’t a part of, to obstruct the business of the committee??

Pretty sure that’s just an insurrection. The hero is the sergeant at arms that stared him down and laughed inside as he did it
— Nom De Plume (@bravoCo104498) May 8, 2026

This is a kindergarten level post
— Ian Miller (@ianmSC) May 8, 2026

I'm informed we're to credit Nicole Hester, award-winning photographer from “The Tennessean.” She's probably waiting for her Pulitzer in the mail.

One guy is standing there doing his job. The other is standing there for the photo op.
— Thought Police HQ (@ThoughtPolic3HQ) May 9, 2026

Spoiled rich kid larps as a disadvantaged youth.

Definitely Pulitzer material.
— Bohemio of the Reeeeing Twenties (@El__Bohemio) May 8, 2026

Anyone who gets in my face like that is not going to walk away the same.
— Jay Gatling (@apinionsvary) May 8, 2026

He wasn’t part of the committee. 🙄

Not Pulitzer level. Staged propaganda.

Get out of his personal space, Pearson. Weirdo.
— PresMom3 (@Mom3Pres) May 9, 2026

You're really falling for his act?

I mean that literally. It's an act.
— BrassChunkyMonkey (@BrassChunkyUS) May 9, 2026

This is SPLC level race-baiting. Everyone saw the video.
— 🇺🇸HenriettaTheGreat🇺🇸 (@HenriettaGreat) May 9, 2026

It isn't just a race baiter getting his 15 minutes
— Zero Cool (Army Ranger Retired) (@lawrenk74) May 8, 2026

But wait, there's another photo.

Two Black Tennessee lawmakers were physically escorted out of chambers this week while Republicans quietly held a hearing to approve gerrymandered maps that would eliminate the state's only majority-Black congressional district.
No referendum. No special election. No public vote. pic.twitter.com/s6pcvBjz5Q
— James Tate (@JamesTate121) May 9, 2026

That was in the gallery. Not the chamber. If you are gonna mischaracterize what happened here (Pearsons brother disrupted the gallery and would not stop) at least get basic facts correct.
— Matt Murphy (@mattmurphyshow) May 9, 2026

Let me explain the difference between the two photos below.

The 1964 picture depicts two Democrats actively denying black people their civil rights as voters.

The 2026 picture depicts two Democrats actively trying to deny non-black people their civil rights as voters.… https://t.co/ydsjf6kzWz
— Cynical Publius (@CynicalPublius) May 9, 2026