An official at the University of Southern California defended students that called for the removal of an on-campus exhibit dedicated to the life and works of actor John Wayne. The students argue that the exhibit honoring the legendary “Duke” promotes white supremacy.

According to a report by Deadline, USC is defending student activists that called for the removal of an on-campus exhibit on John Wayne over comments made by the actor in 1971.

Breitbart News reported last week that student activists at USC were arguing that their film school’s John Wayne exhibit promoted white supremacy.

Their concerns were sparked by an interview Wayne gave to Playboy in 1971. “I believe in white supremacy,” Wayne said during that interview. “We can’t all of a sudden get down on our knees and turn everything over to the leadership of the Blacks.”

“I don’t feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them,” Wayne added. “Our so-called stealing of this country from them was a matter of survival. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.”

Leftist student protesters urged the USC administration to remove the John Wayne exhibit, citing the 1971 Playboy interview. Now, USC’s Interim Assistant Dean of Diversity and Inclusion, Evan Hughes, is defending the conversation, and the protests, that the exhibit has inspired

“The John Wayne Exhibit has produced debate within the School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) Council for Diversity & Inclusion with some students asking for the exhibit to be removed,” Hughes said in a statement.

“Last Friday’s demonstration of activism brings to the foreground questions about how to deal with historical artifacts and the legacies of racism associated with iconic aspects of the film industry,” the statement adds. “Our values as an inclusive community are predicated on the idea that our student population needs to be heard and have a say about our SCA environment, especially when information comes to light that changes how we relate to it.”

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