Overview

• Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) referred to Rep. Al Green (D-TX) as 'boy' and claimed his cane might be a prop hiding a gun during a recent interview.
• Critics have labeled Harshbarger's remarks as racist, drawing attention to the historical use of such language to demean Black men in the American South.
• Progressive commentators and Democratic figures have called for Harshbarger's censure in response to her comments, though no formal action has been initiated in the House of Representatives.
• Rep. Green's cane became a focal point after he shook it at President Trump during a March address to Congress, an act that led to his censure by the Republican-led House.
• The controversy highlights ongoing partisan tensions and debates over protest tactics, decorum, and the use of racially charged rhetoric in U.S. politics.