Cory Booker delivered a historic speech because we're in extraordinary times

History will determine how the senator's marathon speech is remembered. It will also remind us why the speech was necessary.

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By Carron J. Phillips

Black people have always been this nation’s Avengers. Cory Booker gave it a go as Captain America for a day.

“I’m physically not in the best shape. But I am emotionally just feeling really full right now, and grateful,” he said on CNN after he spoke for 25 hours and 4 minutes on the Senate Floor—without a single bathroom break or taking a seat.

In the coming days, attention will center on what the Democratic senator from New Jersey said and did as, yet again, a Black person had to pick up the slack for America.

Race cannot be overlooked at this moment. It’s a central factor in most issues in this country. For example, everything Booker mentioned on the Senate floor, as well as the frustrations of anyone reading this site, was directly connected to the reality that America finds itself in its current situation because it refused to elect a Black woman as president.

“These are not normal times in our nation,” Booker explained as he opened his speech. “And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them.”

In a time when too many people are paralyzed by fear or ignored, Booker boldly embraced the spoken word in grand fashion. His one-man show powerfully exposed how American society and politics have been turned upside down by Donald Trump, a man motivated exclusively by greed, hate, and selfishness.

Throughout the day and night, Booker recalled the mantra of the late John Lewis, emphasizing that this was a time to engage in “good trouble.”

“This is the high call of patriotism. Patriotism is love of country. But you can’t love your country without loving your countrymen and countrywomen. We don’t always have to agree, but we must empower each other, we must find the common ground, we must build bridges across our differences to pursue the common good.”

The quote above is from Booker, but it's not recent; it comes from his speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. At that time, he was promoting positivity in opposition to Trump. Now his actions and words demonstrate a defiant stance against Trump.

That’s why he donned his metaphorical cape and appeared on the Senate floor. He understands that in America if Black people don’t do it, it won't get done.

If anything changes after Booker’s speech, it will serve as proof that bipartisanship isn’t completely dead. Especially when you realize that Booker was on the Senate floor longer than Vice President JD Vance was in Greenland.

Now, let's consider the optics of the situation. One man spent three hours on a pointless display, and the other made a sacrifice in hopes of changing our futures. However, according to some narratives, one of them is labeled a DEI senator, and the other is referred to as a "qualified" vice president.

The most remarkable aspect of Booker’s speech was that it will serve as a powerful example of resistance through history. He broke Strom Thurmond’s record from 1957, when the former senator filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes to oppose the Civil Rights Act. Thurmond, a white man, made history by fighting against the rights of Black people. In contrast, a Black man stood taller and spoke longer, advocating for the rights of all Americans, regardless of their race.

“You think we got civil rights one day because Strom Thurmond—after filibustering for 24 hours — you think we got civil rights because he came to the floor one day and said, ‘I’ve seen the light’,” Booker proclaimed. “No, we got civil rights because people marched for it, sweat for it and John Lewis bled for it.”

“I’m here despite his speech,” Booker said of Thurmond. “I’m here because as powerful as he was, the people are more powerful.”

What we witnessed wasn’t political theatre. It was American patriotism.

Carron J. Phillips is an award-winning journalist who writes on race, culture, social issues, politics, and sports. He hails from Saginaw, Michigan, and is a graduate of Morehouse College and Syracuse University.

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