NASHVILLE – Tennessee Students Demand Action and Moms Demand Action volunteers, part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, will join Repairers of the Breach, Bishop William J. Barber II, local and national clergy and impacted leaders for a Moral Monday rally in Nashville April 17 demanding lifesaving gun safety legislation and an end to extremists in state legislatures trampling over democracy.
Angela Ferrell-Zabala, senior vice president for movement building at Everytown and Moms Demand Action, and Bishop Barber will join a growing moral fusion coalition of students, survivors, and faith leaders to urge lawmakers to reject dangerous gun lobby priorities and stop using state capitols to subvert debate and democracy.
“All across the country, and especially in the South, we’re seeing attempted political coups d’etat,” Bishop Barber said. “This must be exposed. It must be challenged in a way that goes deeper than partisanism. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents must stand together to reclaim democracy. Legislators in these houses, when there’s an attempt to shut them down, must stand like the Tennessee Three and say, ‘We will not be silenced. With leading gun safety groups joining our moral movement we are growing stronger by the day.”
The Moral Monday event will begin with a rally at McKendree United Methodist Church, followed by a march and rally at the state capitol, where Tennessee lawmakers are failing to act on gun safety and are instead advancing dangerous bills. On Monday, the House will vote on HB 1202, a bill to make it easier to arm teachers. On Tuesday, committees in both the House and Senate will hear HB1005 and SB1503 respectively, legislation that would lower the age for permitless carry from 21 to 18 — all while ignoring legislation that could increase public safety in their state.
“When it comes to the lives of our kids, thoughts and prayers won’t cut it from lawmakers. We need common sense gun safety policies to stem the tide of gun violence,” said Ferrell-Zabala. “We are proud to partner with Repairers of the Breach, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with faith leaders, survivors, students, and educators to demand our leaders find the courage to keep Tennessee’s children safe. We will continue to show up day after day and demand better.”
In the wake of the tragic shooting at The Covenant School, Students Demand Action and Moms Demand Action volunteers mobilized in Nashville, Memphis, and across the entire nation, to demand lifesaving action on gun safety on policies like an Extreme Risk law, which might have prevented the shooting.
The Moral Monday rally will highlight the death from guns, death from denial of healthcare and death from poverty that results from extremists in legislatures across the country using state capitols to subvert our democracy. Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones may have been, rightfully, returned to their seats, but that does not remotely cover up the moral decay brought to the fore the last few weeks.
As part of Monday’s rally, faith leaders will lead a march to the Tennessee Capitol carrying child-size caskets and deliver demands to lawmakers. Earlier this week, Bishop Barber and Tennessee and national faith leaders released The Nashville Principles, a moral vision to carry our country forward and build a Third Reconstruction.
The Tennessee Moral Monday gathering comes just a week before the Moral Monday 10-Year Anniversary and Recommitment Rally at the State Capitol in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 24. Ten years ago, 17 North Carolinians walked into the North Carolina General Assembly to bear witness to the immoral attacks on the most vulnerable residents in the state. The movement went on to become one of the largest direct action campaigns at a state legislature in U.S. history.
RALLY DETAILS
WHAT: Tennessee Moral Monday Rally
WHO: Bishop William J. Barber II, President and Senior Lecturer, Repairers of the Breach
Angela Ferrell-Zabala, senior vice president for movement building at Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action,
Tennessee and national faith leaders
Volunteers with Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action
WHEN: Monday, April 17, 2pm CDT
WHERE: Mckendree United Methodist Church
523 Church St, Nashville, TN 37219
MARCH DETAILS
WHAT: Tennessee Moral Monday March
WHO: Bishop William J. Barber II, President and Senior Lecturer, Repairers of the Breach
Angela Ferrell-Zabala, senior vice president for movement building, Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action,
Tennessee and national faith leaders
Volunteers with Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action
WHEN: Monday, April 17, 3pm CDT
WHERE: Mckendree United Methodist Church to the State Capitol Building (600 Dr. M.L.K. Jr Blvd, Nashville, TN 37243)
