The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II admonished Senate Republicans for stopping Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) from reading a 1986 letter from Martin Luther King Jr.’s widow opposing Jeff Sessions.

Coretta Scott King asked the Senate more than 30 years ago to reject Sessions — now a senator and the nominee for U.S. attorney general — as a federal judge, citing concerns about his commitment to civil rights and racial justice, and Warren used her words to remind senators about their colleague’s record.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) cut off Warren, and senators voted 49-43 along party lines to prevent the Massachusetts Democrat from speaking on the floor until the confirmation vote for Sessions, an Alabama Republican.

“She was warned, she was given an explanation,” McConnell said. “Nevertheless, she persisted.”

Barber — a civil rights giant and pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina — said the spectacle, and Sessions’ candidacy, showed the GOP’s commitment to preserving systemic racism.

What happened tonight in the U.S. Senate is only further truth that we must deal with the issue of systemic racism in America.

— Rev. Dr. Barber (@RevDrBarber) February 8, 2017

Republican extremist just proved that they cannot handle the truth about their support of policies rooted in systemic racism past & present.

— Rev. Dr. Barber (@RevDrBarber) February 8, 2017

.@SenWarren quoted Coretta Scott King who told the truth about @SenatorSessions history of embracing systemic racism.

— Rev. Dr. Barber (@RevDrBarber) February 8, 2017

Mrs. King’s words were based in fact back then and they should be considered now.

— Rev. Dr. Barber (@RevDrBarber) February 8, 2017

.@SenWarren was wrongfully rebuked by Republican leaders because they cannot handle the truth.

— Rev. Dr. Barber (@RevDrBarber) February 8, 2017

Not only is @RealDonaldTrump allergic to the truth, but many members of the U.S. Senate are too.

— Rev. Dr. Barber (@RevDrBarber) February 8, 2017

.@SenatorSessions and anyone who has a record of supporting systemic racism should not be protected from the truth of their own record.

— Rev. Dr. Barber (@RevDrBarber) February 8, 2017

If senate rules allow the truth to be shut down then the Senate rules are wrong.

— Rev. Dr. Barber (@RevDrBarber) February 8, 2017

Yo @SenateMajLdr aka #RacistTurtle here's the letter from #CorettaScottKing you were scared of. RT pic.twitter.com/FBEVWAJ44B

— colton dunn (@captdope) February 8, 2017