Newly elected Tenn. Democrat London Lamar apologizes for calling state 'racist'
A newly elected Democratic state lawmaker in Memphis, Tenn., is apologizing after a video online showed her calling Tennessee “racist” and Republican voters “uneducated.”
London Lamar ran uncontested in House District 91 during the Nov. 6 election. But just after she celebrated her victory, a video was posted on her Facebook page that her constituents have found troubling. While it has since been deleted, local Memphis news station WREG captured footage from the clip, which shows the representative-elect calling her home state racist.
“Tennessee’s racist. Period. Period,” Lamar said in the video. “Most of the Tennesseans who voted Republican are uneducated.”
On Tuesday, Lamar sat down with WREG and issued an apology to those who were offended by her statement. “We want to make sure we don’t overgeneralize groups of people. For that, we sincerely apologize,” she said. “What we have seen is that many of the folks who voted Republican based their judgment on racially charged rhetoric that was coming down from the White House.”
When directly asked if she believes Tennessee is racist, the Democrat said, “I think Tennessee is very polarized. And I think that we need to continue to have conversations about how Tennessee can work on behalf of everybody.”
Even after her apology, people on Twitter have expressed great disappointment.
London Lamar who is suppose to represent Tennessee needs to resign her seat after all the stupid, insane things she has said about the majority of our state being uneducated racist!!!!#resignLondonLamar
— Renee (@Reneehummyluv) November 14, 2018
A person with that attitude should not be in the House of Representatives in the state that she trashed on Facebook. Then deleted. If you say it stand by it. Don’t chicken out. #LondonLamar
— p2s (@p2tews) November 13, 2018
Tennessee! You just voted in congresswoman London Lamar who then said voters in the state are racists and uneducated. Glad you voted her in? Btw, she is a Democrat. #Nashville #vote
— Tony B. (@tonybcigars) November 13, 2018
@LondonLamarTN #LondonLamar Calling #Tennessee voters uneducated racists while holding that seat is unconscionable. It saddens me to know that somebody who feels that way about her constituents has such a trusted position. You are now somebody to be watched. #TN can’t trust you. pic.twitter.com/spzUTKSKgS
— Melissa Schulz (@ThePrettyPixie) November 13, 2018
@LondonLamarTN #LondonLamar Calling #Tennessee voters uneducated racists while holding that seat is unconscionable. It saddens me to know that somebody who feels that way about her constituents has such a trusted position. You are now somebody to be watched. #TN can’t trust you. pic.twitter.com/spzUTKSKgS
— Melissa Schulz (@ThePrettyPixie) November 13, 2018
Some have defended Lamar, saying that she shouldn’t have to worry about “political correctness.”
Forget political correctness, I don't see why London Lamar should have to apologize. Tennessee has a lot of racism, and even more ignorance, as does America–especially its President. I hope she goes to Washington DC and helps stop Trump's racist agenda. https://t.co/8ouI7BTAye
— Joe Calexit (@Joe_Calexit) November 13, 2018
A teachable moment:
London Lamar apologized.
Cindy Hyde-Smith did not.
This. Is. America.— Earle J. Fisher (@Pastor_Earle) November 14, 2018
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