The University of North Alabama (UNA) announced on Wednesday that they are hosting prominent Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King to speak on their campus in Florence next month.
King came into the national spotlight for his role in hot-button, liberal social justice causes, especially the Black Lives Matter movement. He was a leading voice in the aftermath of Michael Brown’s death and, later, Tamir Rice’s death.
After House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was shot last year, King said that “banning white men would drastically reduce mass shootings.”
He added, “But, what you and I know, is that American safety is not really a priority to conservatives.”
UNA’s press release says that they “welcome” the “humanitarian” King and even notes that their Housing & Residence Life division and Department of Sociology are sponsoring the speech.
Austin Harrington, who is Chairman of the College Republican Federation of Alabama( CRFA), explained that the state’s governing body of college Republicans opposes King’s rhetoric but supports his right to free speech.
“The College Republican Federation of Alabama fully understands the importance of free speech, especially on college campuses,” Harrington told Yellowhammer News. “I would venture to say that college conservatives know better than others how it feels to be censured on campus by fellow students and administration.”
He continued, “While we do not support Mr. King’s methods or rhetoric, we do support his right to come to speak on campuses in Alabama. While we do support his right to speak, it is up to the students to acknowledge Shaun King’s history of hijacking tragedy and propagating false narratives surrounding said tragedies.”
King’s speech is scheduled to occur Thursday, September 6 at 7:00 pm in UNA’s Norton Auditorium.
In UNA’s release, King says “It’s hard to know a moment in history when you are in it, but this much I know: We are in a painful and peculiar point in American history. So much is wrong that it’s hard to keep up, but we must.”
I’ve said it many times, but shame on this nation for electing Donald Trump as President.
The majority of white people were so desperate to swing the pendulum away from a Black man that they were willing to empower a bigoted criminal enterprise to lead this nation.
— Shaun King (@shaunking) August 22, 2018
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
