Why HBCU Students Should Welcome Blexit Visitors with Open Arms During Homecoming

By Dee Dee Bass Wilbon

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Dee Dee Bass Wilbon proudly sporting her Fisk University Tee.

The fall marks homecoming season at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the nation. Homecoming week at HBCUs is filled with alumni events, football tailgates, gospel fests, step shows, Greek events and community service.

This year, some homecoming locations will have an opportunity to welcome new faces to their celebration. The group Blexit, powered by Turning Point USA, has decided to pick up the mantle of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk by having dialogue with students on college campuses. Blexit works for Blacks to exit what they call the victimhood mentality.

The group has announced that they plan to visit HBCUs to spark conversations about conservative values and political alternatives to the Democratic Party. They are calling it their "Educate to Liberate Tour." The upcoming stops on the tour include North Carolina Central University, Howard University, Hampton University, Bowie State University and Lincoln University.

Ever since the tour was announced, my social media feed has been inundated with video clips of influencers urging students at the HBCUs not to engage with the Blexit visitors. The influencers are calling on HBCU students to ignore the individuals from Blexit, to call campus security and to have them escorted off campus.

This advice comes after a group of white MAGA-clad supporters was run off campus by an unruly mob at Tennessee State University (TSU). The advice should be - Don't behave as the students at Tennessee State did. Instead, have robust, respectful dialogue. Encourage the students to ask tough questions about why Blexit believes Republicans will do any better than Democrats. Encourage the students to be prepared to share why they stand firmly on the policies of Democrats, the Green Party or whatever their political belief.

But the last thing we should be telling our bright, young minds to do is close down and not engage. Engage with honor, dignity and decorum. What better place is there than a college campus to be introduced to a robust marketplace of ideas.

Our family is rich with HBCU history. My mother attended Morris Brown College, my son is a Bowie State University alumnus, my husband graduated from Hampton University, and I am a proud graduate of Fisk University, the first HBCU in Tennessee. So when I saw the videos of how the students at TSU behaved, I was personally disappointed.

During my time at Fisk, our campus was a beacon of dialogue. I engaged with people from across the political spectrum, debated fiercely in classrooms and dorms, and learned to agree to disagree. Those interactions broadened our perspectives, helping us understand ourselves and the world around us. Ignoring or shutting down differing views only stifles growth.

Homecoming, with its spirit of unity and celebration, is the perfect backdrop for such exchanges. Imagine debates under tailgate tents or panel discussions amid the festivities, where ideas clash and minds expand.

This is an opportunity to demonstrate to the world that the marketplace of ideas still thrives at HBCUs.

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Dee Dee Bass Wilbon is a founder and partner at Bass Public Affairs a Washington, DC based public affairs and strategic communications firm.