NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSVN) — A conservative debate group’s unannounced stop at a historically Black college in Tennessee sparked more than just conversation.
The Fearless Debates group showed up with hot-button slogans and received an even hotter response from students.
Video shows spirited Tennessee State University students gathering around members of the debate group, Sept. 16.
“We went from a peaceful conversation with students to quite literally a mob inciting violence against us,” said David Khait, co-founder of Fearless Debates.
The university believes the debate group’s actions to be hostile, but the group said there’s a message behind the mayhem.
Khait said the group is aiming to encourage debate in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
The group set up on campus with signs reading “DEI should be illegal” and “Deport all illegals now. Let’s Talk,” leading some students to believe that they were there to provoke rather than debate.
“I just feel like it was unnecessary, like why would you come to a HBCU with all that commotion knowing that we’re gonna say something about it? Like, they’re just, like, insane,” said TSU senior Laila Johnson.
However, Khait defended the group’s choice, questioning why they wouldn’t include HBCUs in their debates.
“Is there a reason why we shouldn’t go to historically Black colleges to have these conversations? We’re not limiting who we want to go speak to based off their race, based off their gender,” said Khait.
The university called the group’s actions hostile, and said TSU students conducted themselves in a professional and respectful manner.
“Take a look at our last six stops, our first six stops. We have not had an issue like this whatsoever,” said Khait.
Khait says they were removed for safety reasons, but TSU officials insisted the group wasn’t authorized to be on campus.
Despite the clash, Khait said, Fearless Debates will continue visiting more university campuses.
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