May 7, 2025
Rep. Jasmine Crockett Reveals Tougaloo College Received Threats After Her Commencement Speech
The congresswoman encouraged the graduates to dream big but to stay encouraged while being Black in America
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) posted a letter from Tougaloo College on social media revealing the HBCU received threats following her commencement speech.
The letter from Tougaloo President Dr. Donzell Lee was sent to the school’s family, highlighting how the Mississippi-based institution received “concerning calls” after Crockett spoke there on May 4.
Crockett blamed President Donald Trump’s loyal followers.
“No low is too low for MAGA… now explain to me why an institution would be receiving threats because of the commencement speech that I GAVE,” Crockett wrote on X. “This type of behavior is why I’m constantly having to be protected & I understand that truth-telling in this country, sadly, is a dangerous business, but college students don’t deserve this.”
“As a side note: you consistently prove me right, & just as this was the only campus that MLK could speak at in Mississippi in the 1960s. It’s 2025, and this country is still stuck on hate… I’m proud to say Tougaloo is tough & so am I,” Crockett continued on X.
The congresswoman urged more than 100 graduates to dream big but to stay encouraged while being Black in America. She spoke about her journey not being a “crystal stair” but standing on the spirits of ancestors, such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Fellow lawmaker Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), a Tougaloo alumnus, attended the commencement services. Crockett honored his presence. “He may have left Tougaloo, but believe me when I say, Tougaloo has never left him,” she said, according to WAPT.
Social media users supported her accusations that MAGA was behind the threats. One offered encouragement to the school and Crockett.
“Truth-telling shouldn’t come with threats, especially not to a college community. The fact that speaking hard truths in 2025 still evokes the same hate MLK faced in the 1960s is a stark reminder of how far we still have to go,” Evaristus Odinikaeze (@odinikaeze) wrote.
“Stand strong, Rep. Crockett. Courage always wins over fear.”
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