A TikTok video showing Black students at Tennessee State University confronting a group of MAGA supporters has gained viral traction.
Featured VideoThe clip, shared by Lia (@talia.beentril), has now surpassed 1.5 million views and was shared widely on X. In the video, students challenge the visitors and escort them off campus, accompanied by campus police.
The group, identified as Fearless Debates, arrived at TSU around 3 p.m. on Sept 23, according to reports by The Tennessean. They wore MAGA hats and carried signs with statements such as “DEI should be illegal” and “deport all illegals now,” according to a Facebook post from the Nashville chapter of the NAACP.
@talia.beentrill Vanderbilt is 10 minutes away👋🤣 #tennesseestateuniversity #contentcreator #charliekirk #maga #trump ♬ original sound – Lia’s Beauty LabAdvertisement
Confrontation unfolds on TSU campus between MAGA debaters and students
Fearless Debates is not affiliated with the university, according to a statement posted on X by TSU. Staff and campus police arrived on the scene and removed the group without incident.
“In accordance with university policy, any demonstration or protest activity requires advance approval and permitting. Campus police and staff responded promptly, and the individuals were escorted from university grounds without incident. At all times, TSU students conducted themselves in a professional and respectful manner,” the statement read.
AdvertisementVideos shared by both students and the group showed tense interactions that don’t reflect the statement made by the university. Several students followed the MAGA supporters, filmed them, and at times took or tore down their signs.
A separate video posted by Fearless Debates showed them talking with a college student with crossed arms. They were talking to him, but he responded only with nods. In the tweet, they wrote, “The conversation before a mob incited violence against us at Tennessee State University.”
The NAACP Nashville chapter described the visit as an attack on HBCU spaces. Its statement said the group “attempted to draw students into conversations centered on these messages, which were framed as debate but functioned as provocation.”
AdvertisementIn its statement, NAACP Nashville issued a strong warning to other historically Black colleges and universities.
“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 students.”
Social media reaction and broader concerns
University officials said an investigation is underway into how the group accessed the grounds. TSU President Dwayne Tucker also told The Tennessean he plans to hold meetings with students in the coming days.
AdvertisementOne person on TikTok wrote, “first off, with all the threats Maga has made against HBCUs. This was an immediate threat to those students lives.”
“Going to a HBCU to debate DEI, essentially if Black and brown workers get a fair chance at being hired to a job they studied for, is probably the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard,” another person pointed out.
Advertisement@talia.beentrill did not respond immediately to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok DM.
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