Listen, now. I didn’t came all the way down here from D.C, and I gotta get to Dallas as soon as I finish otherwise my mama gon’ have a problem with me. But I am so happy to be here with y’all. Before I get to my formal recognitions, I have to say this about your congressman, my big brother, Congressman Troy Carter. Now, listen, y’all. He called me and he said, “They want you to be the commencement speaker.” And I said, “There is no way. Who did they really want? ‘Cause I know a few people.” He said, “No, they actually want you.”
I was shocked. Because I can tell you, when I was your age, and when I was about to graduate, baby I wasn’t thinking about no politicians. Probably didn’t know that many of them’s names. But let me tell you, I am so honored to serve with him every single day in Congress and I am so honored to be able to learn from him as well as work side by side with him.
To the leadership of this amazing institution, Chancellor Ammons, and the Board of Regents, thank you for your commitment. To the faculty who consistently showed up and poured themselves into classrooms and these amazing graduates, thank you. And to the families, I know these degrees belong to y’all, too. I’m sure they goin’ be hanging on y’all’s walls, in y’alls offices, I get it. I’ve been there. I know you have literally sacrificed everything to make sure that these graduates could be here today. From the mamas to the daddies, to the aunties and uncles, grannies and papas, and everybody else, this isn’t just one person’s moment. But it’s to be shared.
Now, to the group of people that we are here to celebrate, to the graduates, I am so proud of you. But if you know anything about me, I keep it one hundred at all times. So, I know many of you are like, “I’m officially free!” Freedom is yours; my question is: is it really? What is freedom and is it truly ever attained? Let’s evaluate how you got here today. Let’s talk about the amount of things that had to come together to manifest this moment.
I will start by saying your existence as a graduate of this HBCU alone is and will be seen as a resistance. Let me break it down this way. They never wanted us to be educated. This isn’t false, it is absolutely a fact. I know y’all know the history, but there is something special in this moment in time to be allowed to tell the story in the midst of the many haters and agitators being elevated to the highest positions of power and trying to use an old-school eraser. Emphasis on old-school. You know, the old pink one. They want to use that old-school eraser to erase us. They have no idea that this big pink eraser can’t erase what was written in blood. Blood that was shed by the many who bled so that brighter days like this could come.
Much like the creation of this school, nothing in this life will be given to you. You will always walk into spaces due to your meritocracy. And even the spaces they seek to disallow you from, just know that they fear your greatness. You see, in 1956, Act 28 of the Louisiana legislature established SUNO. But only after local African American leaders in the ‘40s pushed for public college for Black students during segregation. Turn to your neighbor and say, “SUNO wasn’t created out of generosity. It was created out of segregation. You see, they sought to build barriers, but SUNO built beginnings.
Let me put an even finer point on this. It wouldn’t be until 1973 that Texas would elect its first two Black women to the Texas legislature. One is actually still serving. And a whopping almost thirty years later, in 2021, I walked into the Texas House to earn my $7,000 a year, as the twenty-second Black women in Texas history to swear in. Not only was I the lucky number twenty-two, for all the sorahs in the building, but I was the sole Black freshman that year. Many questioned why I decided to run for the House when I could’ve easily run for judge and made more money. The answer for me was simple. The laws that judges are required to enforce needed to be changed.
In 1956, a change was needed, and I am sad to say that a short 69 years later, in 2025, a change is still needed. But much as Sam Cook sang in 1963, I know a change is gonna come. “A Change Gonna Come” was a freedom song, and in 1964, there was a monumental step towards freedom taken with the signing of the Civil Rights Act. The collective fearless fight of many had to led to some semblance of freedom, making it clear that there could only be freedom so long as there is no fear.
Listen, they banked on SUNO to fail. It was, and frankly still today is under-resourced and underestimated. But never ever should you allow them to make you to believe that you will stop elevating. With only 158 students, 15 staff members, and a borrowed junior high school, that was the foundation. But then came the floodwaters of Katrina, and they tried to shut SUNO down. They tried to merge and erase it. But SUNO pressed on. With no physical building, y’all didn’t just survive, you thrived.
In the spirit of the ancestors, your knowledge wasn’t going to be encumbered by inconvenience. You studied in trailers for seven long years, somebody say, “Seven long years.” Listen, I know about studying in trailers. Greatness, a lot of times, come out of trailers. You see, I actually had to do the same thing. Most people don’t know this part of my story, but I started law school at Texas Southern. And there was a flood that came through TSU. And so for a very long time, Thurgood Marshall, we were getting our education out of the trailers. But somehow, one of those students that was in those trailers managed to go to the United States Congress and is standing before you know.
So listen, back to the question: what is freedom, and is it ever really attained? According to President Reagan, freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It’s not ours by way of inheritance, it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation for it comes only once to a people. In short, if you are leaders, if you are, never mind. In short, you are the leaders you’ve been waiting for.
I say it all the time. Every major movement for progress in this country was led by young people. Martin, Malcolm, and Medgar had already made their marks on the world and were assassinated at ages younger than I am standing before you today. They, like many other heroes of the movement, both known and unknown, fundamentally understood that there could be no fear in freedom. Many a days I am asked how it is that I can be so fearless, and I ask, how can I not be?
I know times are bad. But Lord knows, times were worse in midst of Jim Crow, and even worse during slavery. One of my favorite movies is Black Panther. For too many reasons to list, but rest in love forever to Chadwick Boseman. Yeah. Who was, what I like to refer to as a ‘cultured artist’. Chadwick will forever be the Black Panther. But let’s think about all the reasons that it was so great. This movie celebrated culture, competence, and combat. You see, they added so many cultural details, from the use of African languages to the symbols on their bodies to even one of the most memorable lines in the movie. No, I’m not talking about “Wakanda forever.” But during the scene when King T’Challa and his cousin, Kilmonger, aka the absolutely beautiful Michael B. Jordan. He said, “Just bury me in the ocean with my ancestors, who jumped from the ships ‘cause they knew death was better than bondage.”
As for competence, they highlighted our genius and overall ingenuity, as well as pointing out that our lands have typically been resourced and under attacked. But when we know how to engage in combat and fight back, it ain’t nothing we can’t do. I can’t emphasize the greatness and the necessity of directors like the great Ryan Coogler, who uses his talents to educate and celebrate our history and our greatness.
In this moment, you are called to do the same. You are called to use your talents to further this movement. You are called to this generational fight for our collective freedom. Everyone has a role to play, and no role is too small. You see, while many wonder what will happen and if they will survive, just know that the roadmap to survival is etched in your veins. We have been through similar fights yet manage to move the needle forward anyway. You were built for this moment. Some view completing their degree as a point of finality, but just know your education and contributions are just starting.
So again, there can be no fear in freedom. Many fear the unknown. How many of you have asked, “what is next”? Raise your hand. Okay, there we go. I’m glad y’all wanted to be honest. Listen, it happens to all of us, but don’t fear at all. Please know that law nor politics were ever on the list of things I’d imagine I’d be doing, but here we are. It is important that you know with all certainty that God has a purpose on your life. I can honestly say as I stand before you today that I am still waking up in awe and sometimes confusion as to God’s purpose on my life as it continues to rebuild itself.
Just know as it says in Psalm 139:14, you are wonderfully and fearfully made. This verse signifies that each individual is a unique and intricate creation, filled with wonder and deserving of reverence. Just know that the long nights, the financial struggles, the tough professors, the complicated balance of working while parenting and learning were for a reason. Just know that you will continue to walk in your greatness.
To round this out, as I’m sure y’all are ready to walk across the stage, I love Madam VP, Kamala Harris. I love her beyond words, for what she modeled for me, as a young Black lawyer observing her career from afar to many years later being directly poured into by truly one of the most powerful Black women to ever walk the planet. To having the unique and frankly unorthodox opportunity to serve as the national co-chair of her presidential campaign.
As I spoke before a group of women recently in New York, I told them that there was no shortage of policy on paper on the Harris campaign. I said many people voted for things other than policy. I said sadly enough, we have to make sure we start at a very basic level, with a campaign theme. So I’m going to do y’all like I did them. Does anybody remember the campaign theme of Barack Obama?
There was also a theme for another campaign, but I’m not goin’ talk about that one. I know y’all know that one. They wear the little red hats. Now, when I think about the theme of VP Harris, what comes to mind? When we fight, we win. That’s a good one. The problem is that unfortunately just like y’all could resoundingly tell me what it was for Barack Obama, that room also struggled. And for me, I thought it was so clear that the theme of her campaign was freedom because, well, that seemed to be the song that we always heard. Every single time that she came out, she came out to Queen B’s song. The lyrics go something like, “Freedom, freedom, I can’t move. Freedom, cut me loose. Singing freedom, freedom, where are you? ‘Cause I need freedom, too. I break chains all by myself while let my freedom rot in hell. Hey, Imma keep on running, ‘cause a winner don’t quit on themselves.”
While we are both from Texas, I’ve not had the opportunity to meet Beyonce, while I have met a few other major artists, but if I had to guess, Beyonce was harkening back to Harriet. And Harris was harkening back to Chisholm. In a speech by the late great Shirley Chisholm to students at Howard, there are so many powerful excerpts, but here are a few.
“Freedom is an endless horizon and there are many roads that lead to it. We must look to the schools and constantly work for their improvement. That is where the future leadership of the country will be coming from, to a large extent. Particularly in Black communities. The leaders of today in the Black communities must be able to place the goal of freedom ahead of personal ambition. The truly dedicated leader follows what his conscience tells him is best for his people.”
VP Harris never made the race about herself, but about our collective freedom. Freedom for bodily autonomy, freedom from a wannabe dictator, freedom of economic prosperity, freedom from the literal chains of incarceration. Nevertheless, here we are. So let’s embrace the words of Harriet Tubman, that I think Beyonce found inspiration from. “If you hear the dogs, keep moving. If you see the torches in the woods, keep moving. If they’re shouting after you, keep going. Don’t ever stop. Keep going.”
Again, there can be no fear in freedom. So what is freedom? Well, that is a very loaded question with many layers. But let me give you this definition of freedom. F is for forever, r is realize, e, education, e, equips, d for dope, o for outcomes, m for manifest. Forever realize education equips dope outcomes manifest.
The one thing that I can say for sure is that SUNO, you are equipped to fight this generation’s fight for freedom, whether you do it as a social worker, a nurse, an educator, y’all know I gotta say lawyer, ‘cause, you know, I’m a lawyer. You are ready, and the only thing that can stop you is fear, so be fearless. The final thing that I’ll say, I really wanted a DJ, and that was because, and y’all came ready, it is time for y’all to put your boots on the ground!
Rep. Jasmine Crocket. "Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s Southern University at New Orleans Address: Freedom, Legacy & Leadership." YouTube video, 18:02. May 16, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nPZDhtAmkg
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