The NAACP is following Kamala Harris’s mandate to “Do something” to end a vicious attack against the first Black and South Asian female presidential candidate.
The organization has sent an open letter to the University of South Carolina to cancel a “roast” of the vice president—one steeped in racial tropes—scheduled to take place on campus on September 18.
NAACP youth leaders have established an online petition that has gained over 14,000 signatures supporting the cancellation of the event, which features a right-wing extremist Proud Boys founder and other known white supremacists on its unappealing roster.
In addition, student leaders at the university have been hosting online harassment sessions aimed at targeting other university students. Remarks have been described as racially discriminatory and promoting sexual violence.
“Hate 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,” NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson and President of the South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, Brenda Murphy, shared the following joint statement via a joint written statement.
“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.”
The NAACP pointed out that while it is non-partisan and does not endorse candidates, the organization felt compelled to write the letter, addressed to University President Michael Amiridis, 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.”
While roasting those in political office is nothing new, President Obama received his fair share of light ribbing and mockery while in office, the upcoming event’s tone, steeped in racism and sexism, makes it especially heinous.
The NAACP leadership remains “committed to ensuring the student and broader South Carolina community are protected from hateful rhetoric or actions.”
