♪ ♪ >> this is "nightline"." tonight the tennessee three. >> we stand united that we are multiracial. and i think that is what is so threatening to them. how gun reform protests and one community gained national attention. >> i did not get sent there to be quiet and not stand up for the people that sent me there. >> and sparked outrage after the expulsion of two black lawmakers. >> we were being persecuted because we exercised our first amendment right and our responsibility as legislators to listen to the voice of the people. >> what we saw was a political lynching. >> the voices of a new generation, why they say what happened to them as a threat to democracy. plus chris tucker from the cold classic "friday" to his hot new

movie. "air." >> you will get us both fired. >> the funnyman back on the big screen working with a cast including ben affleck. >> i call him a player coach. he is an actor and director. he understands how we think. >> what you're saying about that rumored "rush hour" sequel. and the super mario brothers movie. >> come on, mario. >> smashing box office records with a super opening weekend. >> announcer: "nightline" will be right back. ♪ ♪

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sierra light duty crew cab models. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> thanks for joining us, tonight and other deadly mass shooting in america, another city left grieving, at a bank in louisville, kentucky. [gunshots] the gun fire broke out shortly before the bank opened. the suspect, a 25-year-old employee opened fire killing at least five people wounding any of the antlers including two police officers. one shot and head. kentucky's governor getting emotional after losing a dear friend. >> tommy howley it helped me build my law career. help me become governor. gave me advice on being a good dad. he's one of the people i talk to most in the world and very rarely were we talking about my thass shooting in the first ten days of april.

146 such shootings this year alone. over the past few days we have seen our nation's reckoning with gun violence on full display. nashville thrust into a spotlight to no community once -- wants after a shooting at a christian elementary school left six dead. including 39-year-old children. but it's how the local lawmakers there reacted to gun reform that have caused an uproar with allegations of racism and concerns about the state of democracy. two black lawmakers expelled after leaving protests on the house floor. a third, a white woman narrowly escaping the same fate. their supporters call them the tennessee three. i sat down with them earlier today for a frank conversation. >> no action, no peace! no action, no peace! no action, no peace! >> over 7,000 people showed up to the capital after the tragic shooting at the nashville

covenant school, and they shouted and chanted, do something. dohi >> i didn't get sent there to be quiet and not stand up for the people that sent me there. >> what we saw was a political lynching. what we saw was a spectacle to make an example out of us to see if you step out of line and you refused to bow down, this is what will happen to you. speak with they have been dubbed by supporters of the tennessee three. 27-year-old justin jones, 20-year-old justin pearson, and 60-year-old gloria johnson. all three democrats elected to tennessee's house of representatives, all three have been trying to change the states gun laws. but last week two were ousted by the republican super majority thrusting tennessee into the national spotlight. >> you are in the well today because you broke rules of decorum. would you agree? >> representative pearson? >> i believe i am in the world today because you put forward a resolution that says that it is more important to expel voices of dissent then do the work of

justice. >> gloria johnson has an idea why she herself was spared by one vote. >> it might have to do with the color of her skin. >> would you agree with the assessment that she said quite bluntly that it has to do with the color of my skin. >> it's very clear from when we walked in the building that there were systemic racism that is active in the capital. even for members, we stand united in our multiracial, multigenerational. gloria could have easily said, "i'm not going to be expelled" but she stood with us and that's what solidarity looks like. and that's what is so threatening. speaker speaker of the house came in 610 denying that torres played a role in an interview on fox news. >> that's a false narrative, it's unfortunate, she is trying to put political racism in this. they were all given due process. >> the lawmakers expelled after protesting last month's mass shooting at covenant, a christian school in nashville. >> we are about to hear from

officials in nashville, three 9-year-olds and three staff members shot and killed by a shooter. >> is this what democracy looks like it? >> within days of the shooting, protesters overtook the capital demanding gun reform. and the three lawmakers joined in periods of >> paint a picture of what was going on and how did you get swept up into it? >> thousands of children and students and parents and grandparents, clergy, community members came to the capital. the largest protest we have seen in a decade begging us to act. people wanting to transform their grief into policy change, and to action. >> you talk about kits that are nine years old, 13, people and kids who took off of school to come to the state capital to say listen to us. and we need for you to act. on that day instead of the house of representatives saying this is the moment where we are going to pass just legislation and justice and prioritize and in

gun violence, instead we really tried to do just business as usual. >> i taught for 27 years and i was present at a school shooting. we had a school shooting in 2008 and we lost a student. and it was -- you know, it all comes back to you. you will never forget the day that i saw all of those kids running down the hill screaming and crying to my classroom. >> one could argue for you this is personal. >> it's absolutely personal, there is no question about it. >> eventually from the capital to the house floor, representatives pearson and jones say microphone was cut off, so they used a megaphone instead, angering some of the lawmakers inside. soon after, a vote to oust all three were brought to the floor. >> expelled from the house of representatives. >> when you got wind, there was going to be an expulsion vote, what was your reaction to it? any of you. >> shock. >> complete shock. >> we are being persecuted because we exercise our first amendment right and our

responsibility as legislators to listen to the voice of the people. we were told we broke a house decorum role, and if you look at the history of who has been expelled over since tennessee has existed, it's only happened three times. we committed no crime by peacefully going to the well of the house chamber where the people elected us and said we need to end gun violence. >> speaker sexton justified saying the lawmakers disrupted order in the house. >> they decided they don't want to live by the rules. they decided they did not respect the institution. they decided they were going to commandeer and lead a protest. in my mind we set an example that that is not allowed on the house floor. >> article 2 section seven says any member of the house or senate has a right to dissent from them protest any action or legislation that is injurious to the people, upholding our oath to make sure the constituents of voices were heard. this is the voices of thousands people tennessee are shut down. >> in an interview with the

knoxville radio station, 16 and compare the efforts of the three lawmakers to the january 6th attack on the capital. >> what they did today was equivalent at least equivalent, may be worse depending on how you look at it of doing an insurrection in the capital. >> he basically said that you were like the january 6th protesters. >> that's what he said. and what that did was created this false narrative of violence, when our protest was the opposite. calling for the end of gun violence so that our children could live. >> the political backlash from democrats swift, last week joe biden met with the three lawmakers in a videoconference thanking them. >> democracy is says you don't silence the people, you do not stifle the people, you don't turn off their microphones when they are speaking about something important, about life and liberty! [cheers and applause] >> vice president kamala harris praise the group for their courage during a trip to nashville. while former president

ed official should lose their job simply for raising their voice. >> i have brought red flag laws twice, and storage laws, and they get killed on a party line vote. and their arguments are terrible. that's the thing that is so depressing. they really can't tell why they don't want to pass these bills. they just refuse. >> nashville is your district, what have you heard from your constituents since the shooting? >> our community is still the morning. there is grief and there is trauma and i think people were expecting action, to stop this from happening, because truth should be told, this is not the first mass shooting in nashville. and i think it is so morally insane that a week after the mass shooting hit nashville, instead of passing gun laws, the pass resolutions to expel us. that was their first most substantial step they took in response to mass shooting.>> a 2

vanderbilt found the majority of tennessee parents aree on multiple gun safety reforms including background checks and red flag laws. but to continue the gun reform fight, the lawmakers need to see that the table. tonight's representative jones got that back. >> speaker i want to welcome the people back to the people's house. [cheers and applause] i want to welcome democracy back to the people's house. >> the metropolitan national council voting unanimously to reinstate him. and speaker sexton's office said publicly it will follow the councils vote. the vote to reinstall will take place wednesday. [cheers and applause] >> what has happened with our county commission, their leaders in nashville who are threatening our county commissioners in shelby county withholding $350 million worth of funding if they reappoint me. this is the culture that we are up against. this is the power structure we

are up against. >> i believe the spirit of what we are seeing is really a spirit to take us back to this time where people like me and people like pearson cannot even get into that building and be seen as equal members. >> our thanks to representative jones, former representative pearson and representative johnson for speaking with us. coming up... chris tucker on his hot new movie, "air," and why this is the type of role that he has long wanted. ♪ ♪ the idea of michael jordan, going to offer? >> no budget. >> as and nobody will get any money. ing. it's so good. it makes it look like i have magical powers. magic eraser and sheets make cleaning look easy. detect this: living with hiv, i learned i can stay undetectable with fewer medicines. that's why i switched to dovato. dovato is for some adults who are starting hiv-1 treatment or replacing their current hiv-1 regimen.

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laugh, now the comedian with "rush hour" and "friday" is back on the screen with a movie with an all-star cast, like viola y says he affleck, for this role, here is abcs trevor holt. >> you make sure your character is memorable in your scene stand out? >> an actor, you want to enhance the role and do the best you can. squeeze as much out of it as you can. so i like to have that freedom to be able to do that. so it takes a lot of work. but it gets fun. when you get on the site and it makes you work better. >> chris tucker has been having fun entertaining us for decades on a man of many talents. >> give it up for chris tucker. speak with the comedian to fame doing stand-up on hbo's "death comedy jam. >> you ever had a name that borrow your [bleep] and keep it so long! [laughter]

you have to borrow it back. [laughter] >> where i come from, stand-up comedy is just figuring out and trying to just get the best on-screen. ♪ ♪ >> went on to star in movies like "friday." >> which one got me. and "rush hour." >> $50 million, you think you kidnapped chelsea clinton? >> two of the most quintessential films of the '90s. you are asked to do rush hour all the time. >> hopefully we can do another one, i love jackie chan, big fan and for now. it would be fun to do another one. >> hey chris! >> while fans wait for a rush hour sequel, haze receiving praise for his latest film "air," which has outperformed box office expectations. >> i need the greatest basketball shooter ever played. >> who is a player? >> michael jordan. >> it tells the story of how nike signed a rookie basketball player onto one of the most successful deals in history.

>> he will get us both fired. tucker plays howard white, then a nike field rep who is currently vice president of the jordan brand. the two have known each other for years. >> you might have known how i heard howard white, that's why play and i got information from him, it is not in the movie, he went to the golf course and asked would you like in this movie, and he said you got to have howard white in the movie, he is a big part of nike and the jordan brand and then he told me over the years that he wanted to work with me. >> ben affleck directs and stars in the film playing cofounder phil knight. >> you got a name for it? >> air jordan. >> i don't know. >> seriously? >> maybe will grow on me. >> i've heard you say and this role, this is the one you have been waiting for. >> yes. >> why is that? >> it had so many different things coming out, ben affleck coming and i'll come a great director, great actor.

he gave me all the freedom i wanted to create. hunrstands how we think as actors and especially comedic actors, they worked with robin williams in "good will hunting" so they understand coming from the comedic world. >> they let you play around on site? >> they did, they came the second day and said, hey, man, this is like friends making a movie. we're just having fun. if it doesn't work, we have all the time in the world we will figure it out. and i said cool, that's what i love. >> the all-star cast of teachers matt damon who plays sunny, field rep determined to sign michael jordan. >> i am nike. >> do you make it a habit of showing at people's front door is unannounced? >> and viola davis is michael jordan's mother. the movie gives an inside look at the birth of the marketing behind air jordan.>> aae. >> until my son stepped into it. >> a snicker that would transcend sportswear to be a

force in pop culture. >> air jordan, it's all in the imagination. >> from eing immortalized in songs by rappers like naz to many are obsessed with today. michael jordan himself marveled at the evolution in this 1997 "nightline" interview. >> when i actually first signed with nike, no one really knew how big and how large this was going to go and has become. so you know howard, and you also know michael jordan. like a scene you share the photo of you two together. >> i think i met him around '97 and man, he used to do this camp in santa barbara for all the kids, a basketball camp good so i took my son up there. and then one time we went out to dinner after camp and he could not find his car. he rode in the car with me and i will never forget that. he was like this is your car? this is a nice car. it was a bentley and i was looking at them like i'm never signing this car ever, michael jordan is in my car,

watch your knees, mike. watch her knees. it was so much fun then. >> jordan was enshrined in the basketball hall of fame in 2009. brand with nike continues to set records for 2019 the company announced its first ever billion-dollar corridor. -- quarter. >> i like the idea of michael owning a percentage of issue. financial freedom, i love that. of course, still a global brand. >> while tucker basks in the glow of his latest film, his roots are always with them. >> you are still touring? in stand-up comedy? >> i'm still touring. on the road all over the country and i'm loving it. i started out doing stand-up comedy and i will never stop. it's a lot of fun. it gives me sharp for the movies. >> chris tucker, a pleasure to talk to you. i've been waiting to do this since i was a teenager. so i'm so happy to have you in w box of smashattering records!

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♪ we got somethin different ♪ ♪ spreadin' good vibes all day ♪ ♪ livin' in the golden state ♪ ♪ nada se puede comparar ♪ ♪ livin' in the golden state ♪ ♪ vive en el estado dorado ♪

♪ ♪ >> finally tonight, the super mario brothers, the video game proving its enduring and cross-generational appeal. now he hit movie. ♪ ♪ >> you asked for it, this is fun! >> it's the biggest opening for an animated movie with more than $377 million in global ticket sales. surpassing "frozen 2 ♪ ♪ let me see who you are ♪

>> that's not the only record, the biggest five-day launch in history topping transformers, revenge of the fallen. it's now the most successful video game adaptation ever. who knew? that is "nightline," see you back here tomorrow same time. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america. and we are your bargain bliss market. what's bargain bliss?