If you’ve watched cable news over the past decade, you likely heard an epic clapback from one of two powerhouse congresswomen who know how to command a mic—and a moment—on Capitol Hill.
During Trump 1.0, we had veteran lawmaker Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) to thank for a run of viral sound bites; she expressed bold defiance of Donald Trump’s racist rhetoric and reckless leadership as the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged Black communities.
If the president’s first term set the stage for “Auntie Maxine,” then Trump 2.0 has beckoned Cousin Jasmine to the mic. It’s hard not to see similarities between Waters and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX). Both women have gone beyond representing their respective districts to become prominent national figures, serving as spokeswomen for Americans frustrated with Trump’s presidency.
The day before our conversation, Waters, Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, addressed the tenuous state of the economy after Trump’s first 100 days. Even after more than 30 years in Congress, the congresswoman’s energy hasn’t subsided.
“I learned early on that I had an opinion, and I had a voice, and that I could cause things to happen,” she states. “So, in my career, I looked to create justice. I looked to confront the cruelty of people like Trump—and what they are attempting to do to unwind and destroy the progress that we have made.”
Rep. Crockett has joined Waters in critiquing Trump and Elon Musk for gutting programs like Social Security and the Department of Education.
How does she feel amid this nonstop speaking tour? “Exhausted,” she says.
Though the two leaders built their political careers in different states, both women were born and raised in St. Louis. There must have been something in the water in the “Show-Me State,” as Crockett appears to operate with the veteran lawmaker’s same trademark, straightforward, firebrand style.
Crockett attributes her commitment to public service, in part, to seeing Black women like Waters advocate for justice. “She was the first one that I ever really saw,” she says, recalling her earliest memories of a Black woman representing their community in Congress. Now, she gets to see Waters in action in person. “It is kind of surreal to now be in this position where I’m given an opportunity to learn from her, up close and personal,” she says.
There is indeed a well of knowledge to draw from Waters, and the California legislator offered some of it to Crockett. “Your mind, your heart, your education brought you to this point,” Waters says. “Don’t question that. Follow what you’ve been doing.”
In discussing the importance of Black media, Waters calls ESSENCE “a pioneer and leader in focusing on Black women.” Crockett adds that it is Black journalists, Black newspapers and Black magazines that “will be able to tell the truth about what’s happening.”
This story originally appeared in the July/August issue of ESSENCE magazine — our 55th anniversary edition.