The conservative group courting young Black voters
Post Reports
The Washington Post
4.4 • 5.1K Ratings
🗓️ 18 November 2025
⏱️ 24 minutes
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Summary
When the conservative organization Blexit announced it was going to visit HBCU campuses this fall, it received backlash from students, administrators and alumni. But when it made a stop at Howard University – during the university’s celebratory homecoming weekend – the reception felt mixed.
Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Features reporter Samantha Chery about Blexit’s strategy and how people reacted to its visit to Howard. Then, national politics reporter Sabrina Rodriguez speaks with Itkowitz about where the Black vote stands nationally.
Today’s show was produced by Zoe Cummings, Sabby Robinson and Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and Laura Benshoff. It was mixed by Sean Carter.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | America is changing. And so is the world. |
| 0:04.4 | But what's happening in America isn't just the cause of global upheaval. |
| 0:08.6 | It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere. |
| 0:12.4 | I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. |
| 0:14.6 | I'm Tristan Redman in London, and this is the global story. |
| 0:18.8 | Every weekday will bring you a story from this intersection, where the world and America meet. |
| 0:24.4 | Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:32.3 | In 2024, more black voters shifted to Donald Trump. |
| 0:37.4 | This trend has emboldened Republicans to try and |
| 0:40.2 | broaden their party's base. And there's one group in particular that is actively working to win over |
| 0:45.7 | more young black voters. It's called Blexit. That's emerging of the words Black and Exit. |
| 0:55.0 | Their goal is to persuade Black people to leave the Democratic Party. |
| 1:03.0 | A few weeks ago, Blexit showed up at Howard University, a historically black college in Washington, D.C. |
| 1:09.0 | It's overwhelmingly liberal and counts former Vice President Kamala Harris |
| 1:12.9 | among its alumni. |
| 1:18.0 | Blacksett planned their visit for Howard's homecoming, |
| 1:21.2 | which is a huge week-long celebration of black culture and pride, |
| 1:25.4 | so some students were upset that a conservative group |
| 1:28.2 | would use the event |
| 1:29.1 | to spread their politics. |
| 1:31.7 | Unsettling. I feel unsettling. |
| 1:33.3 | They're trying to divide us. |
... |
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