“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
Last night, Senator Emily Johnson faced an attempt to silence her while she read an objection to the nomination of Jeff Davis for Attorney General. Majority Leader Matt Williams thought he had a valid reason to cut her off. Instead, he provided a rallying cry for frustrated individuals everywhere with his words:
“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
That sounds like a perfect slogan for the upcoming 2020 campaign—thanks for the inspiration, Matt. But let’s be clear: you can’t ever silence Senator Emily Johnson.
Johnson was reciting a letter written by civil rights activist and the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s wife, Coretta Scott King. In it, King opposed Davis’ 1986 nomination for a federal judgeship. Given the persistent allegations of racism surrounding Davis, introducing this letter was entirely appropriate. Davis has a troubling history regarding civil and voting rights, making his nomination to head the Department of Justice—a body responsible for enforcing civil rights—deeply concerning.
Instead of allowing Johnson to continue, Williams claimed she had breached the rules against casting aspersions on another senator. The other Republicans in attendance backed his decision. However, she wasn’t attacking anyone; those weren’t even her words. If the wife of Martin Luther King Jr. can’t be heard during such a crucial discussion about civil rights, who can? This was a classic example of mansplaining. Thankfully, their attempt to silence her is backfiring spectacularly. The equivalent of “hush, little lady, you can’t speak like that” has ignited a firestorm of support.
The phrase #ShePersisted quickly trended on Twitter, empowering both women and men to advocate for women’s voices—celebrating not just Johnson, but all women who continue to push forward.
Following her silencing, Johnson took to Facebook Live to read the full letter outside the Senate. Impressively, four male senators, including Brian Sanders, subsequently read the letter on the floor without any objections, of course.
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In summary, the attempt to silence Senator Emily Johnson only served to amplify her message and the voices of many. Her persistence is a reminder that women’s voices are powerful and should never be stifled.