Tennessee State University had some unexpected guests on campus yesterday. A group called the “Fearless Debates” made their way onto campus to engage with students. The group came to campus without the university’s permission and was later removed by campus personnel.

Tennessee State released a statement on the incident. Read below:

TSU Statement on Unauthorized Campus Activity

Today, a group of individuals unaffiliated with Tennessee State University appeared on campus.

without prior notice. In accordance with university policy, any demonstration or protest activity requires advance approval and permitting.Campus police and staff responded promptly, and the individuals were escorted from university grounds without incident. At all times, TSU students conducted themselves in a professional and respectful manner.

The safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff remain our highest priority. TSU will continue to uphold university policies and ensure that campus remains a safe, welcoming, and orderly environment for all members of our community.

The MAGA debate group came to Tennessee State as part of their “Fearless Tour.” The group of men were looking for students to engage in “peaceful dialogue, debate, and discussion.” A video of the men being removed from campus has since gone viral on social media. Cam Higby and David Khait have been identified as the men in the video.

The NAACP has been very vocal about recent incidents happening at HBCUs. NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson spoke out about the string of threats to HBCUs that occurred earlier this month. The NAACP also released a statement on this recent incident at Tennessee State.

Here is the full statement:

HBCUs, the NAACP, and Black Leadership Organizations

Urgent Warning Regarding Antagonistic Group Targeting HBCU Campuses

Dear Esteemed Leaders,

Today, Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at about 3:00 p.m., a group calling themselves Fearless Debates appeared on the campus of Tennessee State University. They wore “Make America Great Again” hats and carried poster boards bearing inflammatory messages such as “Deport All Illegals Now” and “DEI Should Be Illegal.” They attempted to draw students into conversations centered on these messages, which were framed as debate but functioned as provocation.

This incident was not an isolated act of political expression—it was an intentional effort to antagonize, disrupt, and instill fear in a space created to be safe, affirming, and supportive of Black students. 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.

We are both infuriated and alarmed that groups like Fearless Debates are targeting HBCUs in 2025 with rhetoric that echoes a long history of exclusion, racism, and systemic oppression. The appearance of these individuals on the campus of Tennessee State University underscores that the politics and ideologies that threaten the being of Black people are still real, still harmful, and still actively seeking to silence and antagonize us.

We urge you, our HBCUs, our NAACP partners, and our Black leadership networks, to be vigilant, to share information, and to prepare responses to ensure that students are protected from these deliberate attempts to disrupt the sanctity of our campuses. HBCUs were founded as sanctuaries of empowerment, education, and freedom, and it is our collective responsibility to preserve that legacy against those who would seek to undermine it.

We will not be silenced. We will not allow outside groups to strip away the dignity, safety, and thriving of our students. The time to respond with strength and unity is now.

Together in our fight for freedom,

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Unit 5977-B

This incident has occurred as tensions are still high following the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kirk was killed during a rally at Utah Valley University on September 10. The threats made to several HBCUs happened one day after Kirk’s assassination.