(Photo from Congressman Bennie Thompson's Facebook)
- Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson presented the Texas Congresswoman with an honorary doctorate degree from his alma mater.
Democratic Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett of Texas told graduates of Tougaloo College that they must make room at the table for themselves during the school’s Spring graduation.
“There are going to be people that tell you that you don’t belong, and I am here to tell you over and over and over that you absolutely belong,” Crockett said at the college’s commencement. “There are people that are gonna 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.”
The reference to folding chairs harkens back to the 2023 fight in Montgomery, Alabama where white boaters fought with black men who used a folding chair as a weapon.
“Let me tell you that we know how to use a chair, whether we’re pulling it up or we’re doing something else with it,” Crockett said in her 20-minute speech. “Let me be the first one to tell you that I know that y’all are ready to put your boots on the ground.”
The comments quickly drew backlash from Republicans. The White House called her “another unhinged Democrat inciting violence” while Utah U.S. Senator Mike Lee called the comments “not cool.”
Crockett went on to tell the 100 graduates to take time to reflect on their purpose.
“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,” she said.
Crockett has gained national attention for her bombastic style of questioning witnesses during Congressional hearings and reprimanding colleagues across the aisle. Her fame grew last summer when she called Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia a “bleach-blonde bad-built butch-body.” She has also referred to wheelchair bound Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott “hot wheels.”
Crockett told students, “Black people have always had to fight for everything that they got. 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.”
Mississippi’s 2nd District Congressman Bennie Thompson praised his House Democrat colleague for her speech at his alma mater. He also presented her with an honorary doctorate degree.
“It was indeed an honor to have Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett as the commencement speaker at my beloved alma mater, Tougaloo College. I had the privilege of presenting her with the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters,” Thompson shared on his Facebook.
Thompson went on to write on social media, “Congresswoman Crockett’s unwavering commitment to defending the civil liberties of underrepresented communities reflects her lifelong dedication to justice, equity, and the promise of a more inclusive democracy. She has fearlessly fought to protect the rights of the marginalized and has championed a vision of America where every voice is heard and every person is seen. I am proud to know that she is among the future leaders of our great country.”
Crockett is currently the vice ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, with eyes on the chair if Democrats win control of the House in the 2026 midterms.
Daniel Tyson
