Hampton University said members of the far right group Blexit were escorted off campus after they tried to host an unauthorized homecoming event. The group, which was founded by Candace Owens and is affiliated with the late Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA, is hosting a tour across several HBCU campuses during homecoming. It previously said Hampton “silenced” them for political reasons, which the university has formally denied.
Why was Blexit on Hampton University’s campus?
The group has been hosting the “Educate to Liberate” tour at 10 HBCUs across the country. It is about “bringing conservative values to life, fostering critical thinking, and sparking powerful conversations on HBCU campuses,” according to Blexit’s website.
“Timed during the excitement of homecoming season—when school spirit is at its peak—we’re stepping onto campuses to challenge the status quo and champion empowerment, personal responsibility, and the American Dream,” it added. “This is more than a tour; it’s a mission.”
Blexit made a previous stop at Howard University and canceled its visit to Florida A&M University while promising a new date, according to Inside Higher Ed.
The news comes a month after a group of MAGA supporters were escorted off Tennessee State University’s campus after it similarly hosted an unauthorized event and discussion with students.
As Blavity reported at the time, the Nashville chapter of the NAACP called out the event at the time as an “intentional effort to antagonize, disrupt, and instill fear in a space created to be safe, affirming and supportive of Black students.”
The NAACP added, “While we recognize and respect that free speech is a constitutional right, there is a clear and urgent distinction between constructive dialogue and rhetoric deliberately designed to provoke, demean, and endanger the psychological safety of students at HBCUs.”
Why was Blexit escorted off Hampton University’s campus?
Blexit member Craig Long claimed that Hampton shut down the event because of its conservative position.
“Instead of celebrating that spirit of open discussion, the university shut it down — claiming we ‘didn’t go through the proper channels,’” he wrote on Instagram. “Let’s be honest: this wasn’t about paperwork. It was about politics. We were silenced because we are Blexit — because we stand for Christian values, conservative principles, and independent thought that challenge the mainstream narrative.”
Hampton firmly denied these claims as being the reason for the event being shut down. It said that the event did not receive authorization from the university, failed to complete the required homecoming vendor application and pay the associated fees.
“While the organization has suggested that their filming activity was ‘shut down,’ that narrative is inaccurate. This was not a matter of suppression; it was a matter of safety, procedure, and fairness. Hampton University is a private institution with clearly established processes for campus access, vendor participation, and media activity,” the Hampton wrote in a statement.
Hampton shared that it received 36 vendor applications and that it approved 18 of them. Those who did not receive authorization were notified the week prior to the event and were told they would be escorted off campus if they walked onto campus.
The university added that approving vendors is essential in regards to safety on campus, as it hosts a crowd of nearly 15,000 people during homecoming.
“As a matter of public safety, Hampton must know who is on campus, why they are here, and how to contact them in case of an emergency. Vendors and guests following established procedures allow us to coordinate access and ensure that all participants are properly credentialed and protected,” the statement read. “Hampton University welcomes organizations and speakers representing a variety of perspectives, provided they follow established protocols. BLEXIT failed to meet those standards.”