The University’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom, a conservative youth organization, will host Ben Shapiro at Rackham Auditorium in March.
In April, U-M’s branch of Turning Point USA will host conservative speaker, Charlie Kirk.
According to a press release, Shapiro will host a question and answer panel on March 12. Kirk will present a lecture on big government, culture and left-wing politics on April 16.
“Young Americans for Freedom at the University of Michigan is proud to host Ben Shapiro on March 12th in collaboration with the Young America’s Foundation,” the press release said. “Through this event, students and the general public will be able to hear from and participate in a Q/A with one of the nation’s top conservative minds.”
Shapiro is the editor in chief of The Daily Wire, a conservative news outlet, and host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” a prominent conservative podcast. He is also the former editor at large of Breitbart News, which has been described as a far-right media news outlet.
Shapiro advocates for small government and free speech on college campuses. He has spoken out against abortion and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, among other things.
Shapiro has also written several controversial articles, including one regarding a University of Michigan upper-level English class that examined the role initiation plays in the formation of gay male identity, regarding it as “a rise in militant gay English.”
“If you pay tuition, you’re sponsoring the militant homosexual agenda,” Shapiro wrote. “If you pay taxes, you’re sponsoring the militant homosexual agenda. If your child majors in English, you’re sponsoring the militant homosexual agenda.
Kirk is the founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative non-profit organization with a focus on education and outreach. The group has been the subject of controversy after allegedly creating a hostile atmosphere towards minorities. According to the New Yorker, a former Turning Point director allegedly sent a text message to another Turning Point employee stating she hated Black people.
Turning Point USA has since hosted the Young Black Leadership Summit, where young Black conservatives heard from conservative leaders and activitsts, received professional development training and more.