HBCU forces out Charlie Kirk-inspired group over MAGA hats, anti-DEI signs it said ‘incite fear’

A group inspired by Charlie Kirk was escorted off Tennessee State University’s (TSU) campus by police after students expressed outrage over the group’s MAGA hats and signs opposing illegal immigration and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.

The group, Fearless Debates, is touring college campuses trying to start conversations with students over controversial topics after being inspired by the late Charlie Kirk — the Turning Point USA founder who was shot and killed during his own campus debate just two weeks prior. Students at the university, which is listed as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), attempted to shout the group down, literally chasing and attempting to intimidate them, and even stole their sign, according to videos shared online.

“Campus police and staff responded promptly, and the individuals were escorted from the campus without incident,” a statement from the university posted on X reads. “At all times, TSU students conducted themselves in a professional and respectful manner.”

Here’s our table from today that caused this riot pic.twitter.com/j59n7lvPpb

— The Fearless Tour (@FearlessDebates) September 23, 2025

The university said in a community message they had every right to remove the men from campus over the unauthorized setup because the group was “hostile” and that their actions sought to “disrupt, demean, and incite fear within our community.” The line about the students’ “respectful” behavior was removed.

TSU did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

Videos posted by the debate group show students following the men to their cars after they were escorted off campus, with some taunting and even throwing objects at them.

Fearless Debates had signs that read “DEI should be illegal” and “deport all illegals now.”

The Nashville chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) came out with a statement in “solidarity” with TSU students, calling the group’s signs “inflammatory” and saying the debate “functioned as a 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, Indigenous, and People of Color students and staff,” the NAACP chapter wrote. “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 statement continues. “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.”

Despite being a public university, TSU heavily regulates the use of its campus, requiring students and non-affiliated individuals to seek approval from the university at least five days in advance even just to “assemble, demonstrate, distribute literature, or engage in similar public activity” outdoors. 

“We are four ordinary guys with an extraordinary mission: to bring honest conversation and open debate back to America’s college campuses,” Fearless Debates’ GiveSendGo page reads. “Inspired by the work and legacy of Charlie Kirk, we’ve decided to hit the road, last-minute and 100% grassroots, to put boots on the ground and spark dialogue where it’s needed most.”

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