Editor’s Note:
In a world often filled with troubling news, it’s refreshing to celebrate something positive for a change. I was thrilled to see my former legislative assistant, Marvin Williamson, featured in the Nashville School of Law news publication.
When Marvin was an intern, he reached out to me for advice. I asked, “I guess you’ll be moving back to Memphis?” He responded, “No sir, I want to stay here in Middle Tennessee.” I invited him to spend the day with me, and I hired him to help with my campaign. Marvin knocked on roughly 4,000 doors in the Smyrna, LaVergne, and North Murfreesboro areas. I was curious how voters would react to a young African-American campaigning door-to-door—I was pleasantly surprised when he told me everyone was polite and welcoming. Even Lt. Governor Randy McNally told me how impressed he was with Marvin when he knocked on his door in Smyrna’s St. John’s Subdivision. I think they bonded over being Dallas Cowboys fans.
After the election, Marvin was hired at the state capitol, where he worked in research and as my legislative assistant. He was the very best assistant I’ve ever had. His heart is always in the right place, constantly looking for ways to help others. I personally witnessed him send money from his own pocket to a constituent who wasn’t receiving unemployment payments on time. Marvin then helped the man recover $6,400 in back pay he was owed. The constituent had lost his job due to the tornado in Wilson County, his wife was pregnant, and he called our office in desperation, saying, “I don’t have the gas money to get my wife to her doctor’s appointment.”
Everyone who knows Marvin knows he’s his own man. I would argue it’s increasingly rare to find young people today who think independently and stand by their convictions. What impressed me was when Marvin showed my radio guest, historian Marty Luffman, Ginny Williams, and me a TSU (Tennessee State University) newspaper while we were at WGNS Radio doing my “Rutherford Issues: Smyrna Edition” show. The headline read, “I Voted for Donald Trump.” I was surprised, to say the least—it took courage for him to take that stand publicly. He voted for Donald J. Trump!
Needless to say, Felicia and I are extremely proud of Marvin. I’ll make a prediction: Marvin will one day become a judge in our state—and a great, fair, and righteous judge he will be.
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