US Edition9 SC House Members Want to Defund SC State University Amid Evette Controversy
The university said it changed course out of caution for safety and student activism, and has not named a replacement speaker.
- On Wednesday, South Carolina State University President Alexander Conyers rescinded Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette's invitation to serve as the Spring 2026 commencement speaker, citing safety concerns following student protests.
- Students protested the selection for nearly 24 hours, citing Evette's opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion practices; an online petition to remove the lieutenant governor as speaker gained nearly 20,000 signatures.
- Characterizing protesters as a "woke mob," Evette, a Republican candidate for governor, later cited "credible safety threats" and argued that "fully educated students" did not know the facts.
- Defending the student body, Conyers rejected the "mob" label used by Evette and affirmed their right to protest, though the university has yet to announce a replacement commencement speaker.
- Amid broader institutional challenges, South Carolina State University navigates longstanding funding disparities, with the federal government previously announcing the state owed the institution nearly $500 million to match Clemson University.
23 Articles
23 Articles
GOP lawmakers seek to defund HBCU after it canceled Republican’s commencement speech
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! South Carolina Republicans are pushing to strip funding from the state’s only public HBCU after the university rescinded Republican Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette’s commencement invitation following student protests and security concerns. What began as a student protest over a conservative commencement speaker, resulted in “credible safety threats,” according to Evette, who spoke to Fox News Digital after her …
South Carolina State U. disinvites GOP commencement speaker after students protest
Students complain she support Trump, opposes DEI South Carolina State University disinvited its commencement speaker, the state’s Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, following backlash from students over her political stances. In an announcement released Wednesday, South Carolina State University president Alexander Conyers stated the school “has decided to move in a different direction… Source
JUST IN: SC University Faces Backlash After Cancelling Conservative Commencement Speaker
South Carolina State University is at the center of a brewing controversy involving student protests, political representation, and funding for the state’s only public Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Republican Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette was initially invited to deliver the commencement address but found her invitation rescinded amid mounting protests by students. The situation escalated enough to raise concerns over “credible safe…
GOP lawmakers seek to defund HBCU after it canceled Republican's commencement speech
South Carolina Republicans are pushing to strip funding from the state’s only public HBCU after the university rescinded Republican Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette’s commencement invitation following student protests and security concerns.What began as a student protest over a conservative commencement speaker, resulted in "credible safety threats," according to Evette, who spoke to Fox News Digital after her commencement address at South Carolina State …
9 SC House members want to defund SC State University amid Evette controversy
ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – Nine members of the South Carolina House of Representatives want to defund South Carolina State University after the school cancelled a planned commencement s…
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