Dear DFA members and other UCD colleagues,
As many of you are probably aware, UC Davis will be the scene of several events, actions, and protests this Tuesday evening (03/14/23). An organization called Turning Point (TPUSA) is sponsoring an event on campus featuring a primary spokesman, Charlie Kirk. Turning Point USA is an extremist right-wing organization that is hostile to professors, unions, the LGBQTIA community, racial justice, reproductive rights activists, women’s rights, etc.
I thought it would be valuable to share with you what I know about this Tuesday’s events and actions, so you can be aware of possible disruptions to your day on Tuesday.
There are several events planned, including a cultural event at Central Park Davis and a protest at the site of the event on campus. The best-organized counter-action is a community event held off campus at the International House. Here is the link to that event in case you are interested in attending:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/resist-bigotry-stand-up-to-turning-point-usa-event-tickets-559860286187
There is also a letter-writing/phoning effort among some community/faculty members to ask the Chancellor to cancel the event.
Turning Point staged a similar event a few days ago at UC Santa Barbara. The UCSB campus newspaper covered this event, which I am posting here to share their view of what happened:
https://dailynexus.com/2023-03-01/students-protest-tpusa-founder-charlie-kirks-campus-visit/
Also, here is a link to the AAUP on their view of TPUSA. I recommend you read it as it has valuable perspective on the repercussions of TPUSA activity on faculty members.
https://www.aaup.org/issues/fighting-targeted-harassment-faculty
Feel free to share this with other colleagues. And if you’re not yet a member of DFA, there’s no time like now to join!
https://ucdfa.org/join/
Stay safe!
Jesse Drew
Chair, Davis Faculty Association