The keynote speech at a graduation ceremony is traditionally an opportunity for a distinguished figure to inspire the graduating class, sending them off into the world with a sense of purpose and direction.
However, at Tougaloo College, a historically black liberal arts college in Mississippi, the keynote address by Texas Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett took a different turn. The congresswoman delivered a message that was not only controversial but also racially charged, urging the graduates to metaphorically "beat white people with folding chairs."
Crockett, a rising figure in the Democratic Party, made her remarks during the graduation ceremony on Sunday. Her comments were not highlighted in the local media coverage of the event. Instead, outlets such as WJTV in Jackson, Mississippi, focused on more palatable excerpts from her speech. "You should take time to better understand yourself in this newly acquired alumni status and evaluate where the pull is coming from, that tug on your heart that you feel that bread crumb of the events that are leading you on your path to purpose," reported WJTV.
WAPT, another local news outlet, also chose to highlight more inspiring aspects of her 20-minute address. "Black people have always had to fight for everything that they got," Crockett said. "There's very little that has been given to us, and while progress has been made, there's always a need to make even more progress."
However, the manner in which Crockett suggested this progress should be made was far from conventional. "I am here to tell you, over and over and over, that you absolutely belong," she said. "There are people that are going to tell you that there is not a table in which there is a seat for you, but I am here to remind you of Montgomery and those folding chairs. Let me tell you that we know how to use a chair, whether we pulling it up or we doing something else with it."
According to Western Journal, the reference to "Montgomery and those folding chairs" was a veiled allusion to a racially charged incident that took place in Montgomery, Alabama in 2023. Reggie Ray, a 42-year-old black man, used a folding chair as a weapon during a heated argument about the docking of a boat. The altercation, which involved several white individuals and a black co-captain of a riverboat, resulted in Ray receiving a 90-day suspended jail sentence, a fine of $357 in court costs, and an order to perform 50 hours of community service.
Tougaloo College is a prestigious institution, contributing 40 percent of Mississippi's black physicians and dentists, according to The Princeton Review. It also houses the Medgar Evers Museum, located in the house where Evers, a civil rights activist, was assassinated in 1963. The college's graduates, predominantly black, were essentially told by Crockett, a sitting U.S. congresswoman, to emulate the violent actions of Reggie Ray as a means of asserting their place in society.
Crockett's comments, devoid of any plausible deniability, are not her first controversial remarks. She previously referred to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who uses a wheelchair, as "Hot Wheels," a comment she later claimed was in reference to his policy of using buses and planes to transport illegal immigrants to blue cities during the border crisis. However, it was later revealed that she had liked social media posts using the term "Hot Wheels" for Abbott long before this policy was implemented.
Crockett's comments at Tougaloo College, devoid of any plausible deniability, are a stark reminder of the racial tensions that continue to pervade American society. Her remarks, which essentially endorsed violence as a means of achieving racial equality, were met with visible discomfort from the academics present at the ceremony. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for responsible and respectful discourse in our society, particularly from those in positions of power and influence.
The Democratic Party's lack of action in response to Crockett's comments, as well as previous controversial statements by other party members, raises questions about the party's commitment to promoting unity and equality. As the Democrats continue to criticize perceived wrongdoings by their political opponents, their failure to address issues within their own ranks is becoming increasingly apparent.
The reaction of the academics present at the Tougaloo College graduation ceremony to Crockett's comments speaks volumes. Their expressions of disbelief and discomfort serve as a stark reminder of the need for responsible and respectful discourse in our society, particularly from those in positions of power and influence. If Crockett's comments do not result in censure, it would suggest a troubling tolerance for racially charged rhetoric within the House of Representatives.
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