Sen. Cornyn's HBCU Commencement Speech Cancelled...Guess They Learned

The student protest against Secretary Betsy DeVos which ensued during Bethune-Cookman's spring 2017 commencement was a likely catalyst for the cancellation of Sen. John Cornyn as the keynote speaker at Texas Southern University. 

After Trump pretty much clowned all of the HBCU presidents during their recent visit to the White House, it is insane that any of his House of Deplorables would be interested in addressing an HBCU graduating class. Like, who in the hell is inviting these people in the first place?

Well, TSU students certainly didn't. Instead they took some deliberate action by starting a Change.org petition which successfully collected 863 signatures and blocked Cornyn's participation. They had plenty of good reasons to stop this madness, too. From backing Jeff Sessions and Betsy DeVos to criticizing Justice Thurgood Marshall and supporting voter suppression, Cornyn's presence would have been a slap in the face to say the least.

"Having a politician such as him speak at our institution is an insult to the students, to TSU, and to all HBCUs," student Rebecca Trevino said in the petition. "This is our graduation. We have the right to decide if we want to refuse to sit and listen to the words of a politician who chooses to use his political power in ways that continually harm marginalized and oppressed people."

With all of that being said, somebody at TSU still thinks that working with this guy, who Coretta Scott King said in 1986 would "irreparably damage the work of my husband," is still a good idea. "We asked Senator Cornyn to instead visit with our students again at a future date in order to keep the focus on graduates and their families," TSU said in a statement.

"Future date," huh? What could racist and elitist 'stumpers' have to say that would be of any value to a Black graduating class anyway? According to the students--not a damned thing. Way to stand up for yourselves, Tigers. Respect.