The NAACP is joining a group of University of South Carolina students in calling for the school to cancel a planned "roast" of Kamala Harris, which is scheduled for Sept. 18th.
The organization stated, in a letter to university President Michael Amiridis, that, while it doesn't endorse candidates and is nonpartisan, it was "compelled to write this letter because of the blatant sexist and racist nature of the event, the advertisement for it, and the potential for violence on campus because of the proposed event."
In a separate statement, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said that "[H]ate speech has long served as a weapon to undermine the progress of our nation. At a time where we are witnessing groundbreaking history, bad actors aim to cast a dark shadow on those very achievements."
"If South Carolina University's leadership values their black students, it's only right they shut this event down. Our nation's schools must remain havens for learning, not platforms for hate. It is imperative that the university takes swift action in this matter and protects the campus community from patterns of divisiveness and degradation," Johnson's statement continued.
The roast was put together by the student chapter of Uncensored America, a nonpartisan organization fighting for free speech, according to the Hill. The "roastmasters" are Gavin McInnes and Milo Yiannopoulos.
"While the NAACP is a staunch advocate for, and defender of, free speech, in light of the advertisement used for the proposed event, the NAACP urges USC to cancel the proposed event, not because of what might be said at the event, but because of what already has been said and depicted in the obscene advertisement," the letter from the organization continued.
The letter follows an online petition that was organized by student leaders, which says that "[I]n order to ensure an environment of inclusive excellence, we must prevent USC from being associated with events like [the roast] to ensure marginalized students who experience discrimination outside of campus can feel safe and welcomed at our university."
Jeremy Frankel ✉
Jeremy Frankel is a Newsmax writer reporting on news and politics.
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