Paramore Accuses Tennessee GOP Of ‘Blatant Racism’ Against Allison Russen In Grammy Resolution

The Grammy-winning rock band Paramore slammed Tennessee’s Republican-led House of Representatives and accused lawmakers of “blatant racism.”

The band’s objection stems from the fact that a resolution honoring singer-songwriter Allison Russell‘s recent Grammy win was blocked, while a similar measure for Paramore’s win was allowed to pass.

In an Instagram Story posted on Friday, Paramore announced that they would not accept any acknowledgment or honor from the Tennessee House until Russell is given equal recognition. Lead vocalist Hayley Williams publicly condemned the “blatant racism of our state leadership” and described it as “embarrassing and cruel” in a statement.

Williams explained that state Rep. Justin Jones (D) introduced resolutions to honor Paramore and Russell for their Grammy wins.

However, House Republicans only allowed the resolution to acknowledge Paramore’s win to pass and blocked Russell’s resolution. Russell, a talented musician and songwriter with strong ties to the Folk/Americana scenes, won the Grammy for Best American Roots Performance for her single “Eve Was Black.”

In the statement, Williams emphasized that Russell is a brilliant artist. With disappointment, Williams stated that the racism displayed by the state leadership is embarrassing and Paramore will continue to encourage young people to vote with equality in mind.

In response to the controversy, state Rep. Jeremy Faison (R), the House Republican Caucus Chair who objected to the resolution to honor Russell, claimed that the resolution was not blocked but temporarily paused for further consideration. He maintained that when a member has questions about an item on the consent calendar, it is customary to bump it for a separate vote.

Faison highlighted that other resolutions were also bumped, such as those that honored a deceased U.S. Army combat veteran and educators. He claimed that this was not indicative of disdain for any particular group.

Russell has shown support for Paramore’s response by sharing articles on her Instagram Story. On social media, she quoted Hayley Williams‘ comments and used hashtags such as #rainbowcoalition, #loverising, #Equality, #register, #vote and #TennesseeRise.

The Tennessee House gained unwanted media attention last year when they expelled two young black members (one of whom was Jones) for protesting the lack of progress on gun control despite repeated mass shootings in the state. Both were reelected to their seats in a matter of months.