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Props to Texas Southern University for seeing the light. The school rescinded its invitation to republican Senator John Cornyn to speak at its commencement services.
TSU’s decision comes on the heels of Secretary of Education director Betsy DeVos’ debacle at the Bethune Cookman University commencement services. During her speech DeVos was booed and jeered. Some graduates turned their backs on her.
Prior to her speech a petition signed by thousands were against DeVos’ speaking. B-CU president Edison Jackson has come under intense criticism for his decision to allow DeVos to speak.
Wisely, the Texas Southern administration thought better. They have taken in the advisement of the petition signed by students who are against Cornyn speaking. TSU released a statement saying: “Every consideration is made to ensure that our student’s graduation day is a celebratory occasion and one they will remember positively for years to come. 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.”
While there are some who say this is a freedom of speech issue, it is not. Cornyn was free to speak at the school, but the graduates and protesters would be free to express their opinions in the same manner as those at B-CU did. Smartly, the TSU administration did not want to face that repercussion.
Clearly, the student bodies at B-CU and TSU were not interested in hearing from those who represent the racist rhetoric that is coming from the current president and those such as Cornyn and DeVos who support him.
And in this case, TSU decided to listen.
