John DeBerry explained

John DeBerry
State House1:Tennessee
District1:90th
Term Start1:January 1995
Term End1:January 12, 2021
Predecessor1:Karen R. Williams
Successor1:Torrey Harris
Birth Date:5 February 1951
Party:Democratic
Otherparty:Independent (2020)
Relatives:Marquita Bradshaw (niece)
Education:Freed–Hardeman University
University of Memphis
Order:Senior Advisor to the Governor of Tennessee
Termstart:December 1, 2020
Predecessor:Brandon Gibson

John J. DeBerry Jr.[1] (born February 5, 1951) is an American pastor and politician who served as a Democratic member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing District 90 from 1995 to 2021.[2] Unlike many national Democrats, DeBerry is anti-abortion. Republican Governor Bill Lee appointed him to become his senior advisor in 2020.

Education

DeBerry graduated from Freed–Hardeman University and the University of Memphis.[1]

Career

Democratic Party removal from ballot

In May 2020, the Tennessee Democratic Party's State Executive Committee voted 41 to 18 to remove DeBerry from the Democratic primary ballot after 26 years in office. One of the committee members who voted to remove him said that DeBerry wasn’t “exemplifying the basic Democratic principles.“ DeBerry's anti-abortion views were a major factor. DeBerry himself protested that it hadn't been the voters in his district that had taken him off the ballot rather, "A tribunal took me off the ballot that has absolutely nothing to do with my district."[3]

2020 protests

On August 1, 2020, DeBerry, as a Tennessee State Representative, delivered remarks on the floor of the Tennessee State Legislature during a debate with lawmakers on a law to increase penalties for demonstrators suspected of certain violent offences against police officers. During the debate, DeBerry gave a speech that had a large impact on social media. In the speech, DeBerry argued that the protests going on in the U.S at the time would be more successful if they remained peaceful.[4]

He spoke about rioters and demonstrators in Portland, Seattle and elsewhere in the U.S. and the negative impacts of them due to the destruction, violence, and property damage caused across the country. He argued that people did not have the right to destroy taxpayer-funded property.[5] He recalled that his family had participated in civil rights activism in the mid-twentieth century and he personally witnessed the civil rights protests of the time. He also remembered that in his early life, he had to walk into public places through back doors, sit in the back of buses, drink out of the "colored" water fountain, and attend a racially segregated school because the law forced him to. He argued that the civil rights movement overcame these things because it had integrity and class, worked peacefully and had common sense and strong values.[6]

Later career

On November 30, 2020, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that DeBerry would serve as a special advisor in his administration. He assumed office on December 1, 2020.[7] [8] [9]

Electoral history

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: John DeBerry, Jr.'s Biography . . March 19, 2014.
  2. Web site: Rep. John J. DeBerry, Jr. . . . March 19, 2014.
  3. News: Allison. Natalie. 13 April 2020. Rep. John DeBerry's ouster from the Tennessee Democratic Party questioned: Why him? Why now?. Tennessean. 3 September 2020.
  4. Web site: Evans. Zachary. 28 August 2020. "'We Act Like a Bunch of Punks:' Black Tennessee Lawmaker Shames Rioters, Invokes Family Legacy of Peaceful Protest". 30 August 2020. National Review.
  5. Web site: Showalter. Brandon. 29 August 2020. "Democrat John DeBerry speaks out against violent riots: 'What kind of people have we become?'". 3 September 2020. Christian Post.
  6. News: Zeffman. Henry. 1 September 2020. Get tougher on rioters, demands black Democrat John DeBerry. The Times. 3 September 2020.
  7. Web site: Gov. Lee Appoints Former Rep. John DeBerry to Cabinet . 2022-09-25 . www.tn.gov . en.
  8. Web site: Lee names former Democratic lawmaker DeBerry as adviser . November 30, 2020 . . December 2, 2020.
  9. Web site: Jones . Vivian . Lee appoints school-choice advocate, former Democratic lawmaker as senior adviser . December 1, 2020 . . December 2, 2020.
  10. Web site: State of Tennessee Democratic Candidates for Tennessee House August 6, 1998 . Tennessee Secretary of State . Nashville, Tennessee . 17 . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150713213729/http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/1998-8/TNHDemAug1998.pdf . July 13, 2015 . dead .
  11. Web site: State of Tennessee, Tennessee House November 3, 1998 General Election . Tennessee Secretary of State . Nashville, Tennessee . 60 . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150713213656/http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/1998-11/house-p.pdf . July 13, 2015 . dead .
  12. Web site: August 3, 2000 Democratic Primary . Tennessee Secretary of State . Nashville, Tennessee . 48 . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151127233108/http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/2000-8/house-dp.pdf . November 27, 2015 . dead .
  13. Web site: November 7, 2000 General Election . Tennessee Secretary of State . Nashville, Tennessee . 65 . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150713213541/http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/2000-11/house1-99-p.pdf . July 13, 2015 . dead .
  14. Web site: August 1, 2002 Democratic Primary . Tennessee Secretary of State . Nashville, Tennessee . 64 . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150713213518/http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/2002-8/house-dp8-02-p.pdf . July 13, 2015 . dead .
  15. Web site: November 5, 2002 General Election . Tennessee Secretary of State . Nashville, Tennessee . 65 . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150713213452/http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/2002-11/tn-house-p.pdf . July 13, 2015 . dead .
  16. Web site: August 5, 2004 Democratic Primary . Tennessee Secretary of State . Nashville, Tennessee . 54 . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150713213426/http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/2004-8/demthpct.pdf . July 13, 2015 . dead .
  17. Web site: November 2, 2004 General Election . Tennessee Secretary of State . Nashville, Tennessee . 65 . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150713213414/http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/2004-11/tnhouseprec.pdf . July 13, 2015 . dead .
  18. Web site: August 3, 2006 Democratic Primary . Tennessee Secretary of State . Nashville, Tennessee . 16 . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150713213346/http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/2006-08/DemPctTH6799.pdf . July 13, 2015 . dead .
  19. Web site: November 7, 2006 General Election . Tennessee Secretary of State . Nashville, Tennessee . 5 . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130410213348/http://tn.gov/sos/election/results/2006-11/en7th67-99.pdf . April 10, 2013 . dead .
  20. Web site: State of Tennessee August 7, 2008 Democratic Primary . Tennessee Secretary of State . Nashville, Tennessee . 20 . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150713213231/http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/2008-08/demth6799pct.pdf . July 13, 2015 . dead .
  21. Web site: State of Tennessee November 4, 2008 General Election . Tennessee Secretary of State . Nashville, Tennessee . 29 . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150713213209/http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/2008-11/pcttnh6799.pdf . July 13, 2015 . dead .
  22. Web site: State of Tennessee August 5, 2010 Democratic Primary . Tennessee Secretary of State . Nashville, Tennessee . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140317181809/http://tennessee.gov/sos/election/results/2010-08/DemTNHousePrecinct.pdf . March 17, 2014 . dead .
  23. Web site: State of Tennessee November 2, 2010 State General . Tennessee Secretary of State . Nashville, Tennessee . 72 . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140313223338/http://tennessee.gov/sos/election/results/2010-11/TNHPrecinct.pdf . March 13, 2014 . dead .
  24. Web site: State of Tennessee August 2, 2012 Democratic Primary . . Nashville, Tennessee . 197 . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140313212221/http://tennessee.gov/sos/election/results/2012-08/DemPrimaryPrecinctTotals.pdf . March 13, 2014 . dead .
  25. Web site: State of Tennessee November 6, 2012 General Election . Tennessee Secretary of State . Nashville, Tennessee . 95 . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140313183815/http://tennessee.gov/sos/election/results/2012-11/TNHousePrecinctTotals.pdf . March 13, 2014 . dead .
  26. News: After appeal, Tennessee Democrats reaffirm decision to kick DeBerry off the primary ballot. 2020-04-15. Corinne S Kennedy. Memphis Commercial Appeal.

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