Group protesting President Trump’s agenda has local presence

JACKSON, Tenn. — A controversial movement created to protest President Trump’s agenda is gaining traction all over the country, including right here in Jackson.

Cindy Boyles is the voice behind Jackson’s Indivisible movement. Inspired by attending the women’s march in Memphis last month, she’s now looking to hold West Tennessee’s representatives accountable.

“I had been looking at the Indivisible groups, and I kept thinking, ‘I wish someone would start one in Jackson,’ and then one day I thought, ‘well, maybe that someone is me,'” Boyles said.

The movement started with an internet document called the “Indivisible Guide” written by former congressional staffers.

The goal is to teach citizens the best ways to influence their congressional representatives.

We spoke to Sen. Bob Corker’s office about the movement. A spokesperson says the senator is “grateful for input from Tennesseans and always appreciates sharing their thoughts with him.”

But not everyone in the Hub City agrees with the group’s efforts when it comes to their approach to the president.

“Just let the man do his job,” Frankie Gaddy said. “He’s just like the other presidents — he just wants to work. So let’s give him a chance and see what he does.”

Boyles says she was attracted to the guide because it allows protesters to act locally in a respectable way.

“It tells us, let’s not go to town hall meetings to close them down but to ask tough questions and try to get answers to those questions,” Boyles said.

The Indivisible group in Jackson was started a month ago and already has 49 members. Boyle says she hopes to see that number grow in the near future.

She says the local group wants to encourage Tennessee representatives to hold town meetings and engage with them in a constructive, respectable way.