The Courage of Rep. Al Green: A Mandate for the People, Not the Powerful

Courage is an endangered virtue in American politics. But Rep. Al Green, the 11-term Democratic congressman from Texas, stood defiantly in the face of power, undeterred by the consequences.

When Speaker Mike Johnson tried to silence him, when Republicans cried “order,” and when the machinery of Congress moved to censure him, Rep. Green stood firm. And he did so for one reason alone: to defend the poorest among us.

“I have no ill feelings toward the Speaker, none toward the persons that escorted me away from the floor, because I did disrupt.

"And I did so because the president indicated that he had a mandate. And I wanted him to know that he didn’t have a mandate to cut Medicaid.” – Rep. Al Green

These are the words of a man who understands his calling. These are the words of a man who, even after being censured, removed from the chamber, and scolded by his Republican colleagues, declared without hesitation, “I would do it again.” And that’s exactly the kind of bold, unshakable leadership America needs right now.

As Rep. Green stood alone in his act of protest, his Democratic colleagues stood around him in song. They sang “We Shall Overcome,” the anthem of a movement that once turned oppression on its head.

And I understand the power in that. As a Theomusicologist, I know that the spiritual force of our ancestors can be channeled through song. I know that freedom songs shake the soul of a movement.

But songs do not replace action. If his colleagues truly believed in the cause, they would have risen in protest beside him, marched out of that chamber arm in arm with him, and defended him from censure rather than allowing Republicans to frame the narrative. They sang—but he stood alone.

We have seen this before. During the Civil Rights Movement, not everyone marched. Some only watched. During the abolitionist movement, not everyone fought. Some simply sympathized. During every fight for justice, there are those who act, and those who remain in the background, offering their “support” in spirit—but not in sacrifice.

And in that moment, Rep. Green was left standing. The question is: Who will stand with him next time?

While Rep. Green was censured for speaking truth, the White House is spinning out of control. Trump stood before Congress, claiming a “mandate,” but the reality is clear. His party is fractured. His legal troubles are mounting. His administration is clinging to power through chaos, distraction, and deception.

Rep. Green was right to reject Trump’s so-called "mandate" because Trump’s only mandate is to serve the powerful, not the people.

His real agenda includes cutting Medicaid, leaving millions without access to basic healthcare, tax cuts for the rich, widening the already devastating wealth gap, and a war on democracy itself, suppressing the votes and voices of the people.

Rep. Green stood up for the truth, and he was punished for it.

But that’s nothing new in America. Let’s be clear. Speaking real "Truth to Power" is not just about words—it’s about action. And action comes at a price. To speak real truth to power is to be willing to put your career on the line, your reputation on the line, even your life on the line. Rep. Green knew this, and he acted anyway. And that puts him in the same lineage as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated for speaking out against systemic racism and economic injustice. Malcolm X, murdered for exposing white supremacy and its Black enablers. Medgar Evers, gunned down in his own driveway for daring to fight for voting rights. Fannie Lou Hamer, beaten nearly to death for trying to register to vote. John Lewis, bludgeoned on the Edmund Pettus Bridge for demanding civil rights. And now, Rep. Al Green is being punished for standing up for the poor.

The methods have changed, but the message is the same. If you threaten power, power will try to silence you. I applaud Rep. Al Green.

I applaud his courage, his unwavering commitment to the people, and his refusal to let power dictate the terms of justice.

But let this be a lesson to all of us. This fight is not symbolic—it is existential. This moment is not about politics—it is about survival.

If we do nothing, we are complicit.

And so, I leave you with one question. Will you stand, or will you just sing? Because justice has never come from the voices of the cautious.

Justice has only ever come from those willing to risk everything. And like Rep. Green, we must be willing to do it again and again—until justice is no longer an act of rebellion, but the law of the land.

God bless Al Green. God bless the truth-tellers. And God help those who think they can silence us.

E. D. Mondainé is the Economic Chair for The NAACP (AOWSAC)

Alaska Oregon Washington State Area Conference, and a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. He is also an activist, entrepreneur, and recording artist. Founder of the Black American Chamber Of Commerce, he is also Sr. pastor of  Celebration Tabernacle Church in Portland, OR and Grace Center, St. Louis, MO