Turning Point USA takes ‘BLEXIT’ to HBCUs in push to recruit Black students to MAGA

‘Blexit,’ co-founded by Candace Owens, bills itself as the largest conservative minority grassroots movement in the country.

Homecoming season at 10 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) is getting a little more interesting in 2025. 

Blexit—an organization founded by Candace Owens and former Tucson, Ariz., police officer Brandon Tatum, currently “powered” by Turning Point USA (Charlie Kirk’s organization)—is taking a tour called “Educate to Liberate” to several prominent HBCU campuses throughout the month of October. According to their website, the mission of the tour is “bringing conservative values to life, fostering critical thinking, and sparking powerful conversations on HBCU campuses.” 

The tour will feature Blexit figures Stephen Davis, Anthony Watson, Topher, Savannah Craven, Craig Long, and the BLEXIT Student Movement team. Their stated goal is to “challenge the status quo and champion empowerment, personal responsibility, and the American Dream.” 

Which HBCUs are the group bringing the tour to? Coinciding with each school’s homecoming celebration in October, that would be: Alabama State University on October 3, Jackson State University on October 10, Tennessee State University and Florida A&M University on October 17, North Carolina Central University on October 23, Howard University and Hampton University on October 24, and Bowie State University and Lincoln University on October 31. One event has already taken place at (or near) Johnson C. Smith University on September 25 in Charlotte—there are no pictures from the event on social media, so it is unclear where the event took place or what type of crowd the event drew. Oddly, a flyer for the event is not available on either their Instagram or X accounts, just the website for Blexit. 

It is also not clear from the event page which speakers will be at which universities or if the events themselves will happen on the actual campuses or at nearby venues. 

Notably, when you attempt to purchase tickets, you are taken to a website that requires you to fill out a form allowing Blexit to contact you, as opposed to providing more information about where the events will take place or allowing you to actually purchase tickets. As you can imagine, the idea of a group of conservatives, even Black ones, descending upon hallowed Black yards during homecoming season was met with pushback, especially considering the group is “powered” by Turning Point USA, whose founder held and espoused racist and anti-Black rhetoric. The founder of Blexit, Candace Owens, isn’t exactly a non-controversial Black public figure. 

Feminista Jones, a writer and community activist, shared the flyer for Blexist on her social media with the caption, “The old me would say, ‘Organize! Assemble a counter effort and shut them down!” The new me says, “Ignore them. Extinguish their fire with the cool breeze of silence.” My young folks, my activists, my kinfolks… do not engage. Do not debate. Do not try to have conversations. Let these people stare at venues with empty seats. THAT is your protest.” The ensuing comments featured various levels of disgust and concern that this event would happen during such a celebratory time on HBCU campuses.

A user on X shared, “You know how lame and corny it is to wanna be on some Blexit MAGA stuff during an HBCU homecoming.”

While Black America can accurately be described as non-monolithic, homecoming season at our HBCUs tends to be a time when we’re all on one accord: Do not disturb this groove. 

While Blexit is entitled to their events, let’s hope they understand that very basic tenet of HBCU lore as Tennessee State University students so eloquently demonstrated when a group of white men showed up to their campus in attempts to “engage in conversation” in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s passing with MAGA hats and antagonism. 

Black love is essential, but so is FAFO.