A tense exchange unfolded at Hampton University over the weekend when conservative commentator Candace Owens and her organization Blexit were escorted off campus after attempting to hold an unauthorized event during the school’s homecoming celebration.
According to university officials, the group failed to obtain proper approval to host or vend on school grounds — a clear violation of policy, they said, and a potential security risk during one of the university’s busiest weekends of the year.
“This was not a matter of suppression,” Hampton said in a statement last Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. “Hampton University is a private institution with clearly established processes for campus access, vendor participation, and media activity.”
The university explained that Blexit did not complete required vendor applications or pay homecoming fees, despite multiple notices that unauthorized groups would be asked to leave.
Blexit’s Homecoming Tour Hits a Roadblock
Blexit — founded by Owens in 2018 and affiliated with Turning Point USA — has been touring historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) through its “Educate to Liberate” campaign. The initiative, according to the group, seeks to “bring conservative values to life” and encourage “critical thinking” among students.
The organization had already hosted an event at Howard University earlier this fall and postponed another planned visit to Florida A&M University. Hampton was among several schools listed on the tour’s promotional materials, which framed the campaign as a challenge to “the status quo” within Black academia.
In promotional posts, Owens and Blexit described their efforts as a movement to “champion empowerment, personal responsibility, and the American Dream.”
But at Hampton, the message never made it past the front gates.
“This wasn’t about paperwork. It was about politics.”
Following the incident, Craig Long, a Blexit member and conservative activist, posted a video to Instagram accusing the university of shutting them down for political reasons.
“Instead of celebrating open discussion, the university shut it down — claiming we ‘didn’t go through the proper channels,’” Long wrote. “Let’s be honest: this wasn’t about paperwork. It was about politics.”
Hampton officials rejected that narrative outright, stressing that homecoming safety procedures apply to everyone, regardless of ideology.
With more than 15,000 attendees typically flooding campus for the weekend’s festivities, administrators said they enforce a strict vendor and event registration policy to ensure safety and accountability.
“Blexit failed to meet those standards,” the university reiterated. “We welcome a diversity of viewpoints, but participants must respect our rules and our students’ safety.”
Free Speech or Policy Violation?
The confrontation has sparked renewed debate over free speech and political engagement on college campuses — particularly at HBCUs, where conservative groups like Turning Point USA and Blexit have increasingly sought to make inroads.
Owens, known for her provocative critiques of the Democratic Party and racial identity politics, has positioned herself as a disruptive voice in conversations about Black political allegiance. Her presence at HBCUs has drawn both curiosity and backlash.
Critics argue that groups like Blexit often use campus visits as political theater, while supporters say the backlash proves conservative thought is being silenced in higher education.
“Private universities have the right to regulate access to their property,” said Dr. Nia Franklin, a political science professor at Howard University. “But when those regulations are invoked during politically charged moments, it inevitably feeds a narrative of censorship — even when the issue is purely procedural.”
Blexit’s Broader Mission — and Controversy
Blexit was founded as a movement to persuade Black Americans to “exit” the Democratic Party and embrace conservative principles such as self-reliance and limited government. Owens, who rose to fame as a right-wing commentator, has described Blexit as an effort to “break free from victimhood politics.”
But critics say the group often frames itself as grassroots while being funded and amplified by established conservative organizations like Turning Point USA — a link that has drawn scrutiny, especially on college campuses.
Despite the Hampton controversy, Owens and her team have vowed to continue their HBCU tour. “The truth doesn’t need permission,” one Blexit social media post read Sunday afternoon.
The Bigger Picture
Whether viewed as a free speech clash or a straightforward policy enforcement, the episode at Hampton reflects a broader tension in higher education, especially at Black institutions historically rooted in social justice and community leadership.
For many HBCUs, maintaining safety and order during homecoming season is non-negotiable. For groups like Blexit, the optics of being escorted off campus serve as potent political fuel.
Both sides claim the moral high ground — one invoking institutional integrity, the other ideological freedom. And somewhere in between are students, watching the headlines unfold, trying to discern which version of empowerment speaks for them.
