Was Marc Lamont Hill Wrong About the Timing of His Comments on Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s Senate Run?

Recently on the Just World Podcast, BWNC CEO CJ Lawrence sat down with Dr. Marc Lamont Hill for a powerful, necessary conversation. Marc also delivered a sharp and memorable speech about what it means to be on the right side of history — a speech that echoed the urgency of justice movements both here at home and abroad.

For the record, I was the camera operator and audio engineer for the pod and livestream. Let me say up front: I agree with Marc.

On the genocide in Palestine.

On the need for global solidarity.

On the ongoing crisis of equity, justice, and liberation here in the United States.

On the responsibility we all have to act with moral clarity.

But I also believe it’s possible to agree with a person’s convictions and still question their timing.

Which brings me to Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

Jasmine recently announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat in Texas. Her entry into the race is more than a political move — it is historic, symbolic, and deeply necessary, because Texas gone Texas if we don’t chin check ’em. Texas is a state where Black political power is often treated as an inconvenience at best, a threat at worst. A Black woman stepping into that arena with courage should be acknowledged with the gravity it deserves.

That is why the timing of Marc’s comments deserves a deeper look. Not to diminish his analysis. Not to question his character. But to ask a real movement question:

When is the right time to critique, and when does critique unintentionally harm the very movements we’re trying to build?

There is a difference between disagreement and disruption.

There is a difference between accountability and undercutting momentum.

There is a difference between calling someone in and calling someone out at the exact moment their political candidacy becomes a rallying point for marginalized communities.

And timing matters — especially for Black folks in politics.

Jasmine Crockett faces challenges that many of her male contemporaries never encounter: intensified scrutiny, fewer institutional resources, and the expectation to be flawless in both policy and presentation. When a Black woman raises her hand to run for Senate in a place like Texas, the movement has an obligation to hold complexity gently.

We must be able to say, “We expect principled leadership from you,” while also saying, “We’re not giving the opposition ammunition during your first few days hours on the battlefield.”

This isn’t about protecting Jasmine from critique.

It’s about recognizing the stakes.

It’s about understanding power.

It’s about strategy.

And it’s about knowing that liberation is a team sport — one where timing can make or break momentum.

Marc has been one of our most consistent and courageous truth-tellers. His voice in the fight for Palestinian freedom and Black liberation has been indispensable. My question is not about whether he is right on the issues. He is.

My question is whether he was right on the timing. Was his timing informed by collective struggle and historical consciousness or rigid ideology.

Because the movement deserves both truth and strategy.

Both critique and coordination.

Both accountability and alignment.

As we continue these conversations — on air, online, and in community — I hope we do so with an understanding that winning requires us not only to be on the right side of history, but also to be mindful of how we walk with one another in real time.

So, with that being said… what do you think, was MLH wrong or spot on?

About the Author
George “Chuck” Patterson is a cultural strategist, writer, and civic organizer whose work sits at the intersection of storytelling, community power, and political truth-telling. As Co-Founder and Board President of Mississippi MOVE, Inc. and Chief Experience and Design Officer at Black With No Chaser, Patterson uses narrative as a tool for liberation, amplifying voices and visions often ignored in the mainstream. He is a husband, father, and advocate committed to building community-centered futures rooted in justice and collective struggle.