From Staff Reports

ORANGEBURG, S.C. —South Carolina State University celebrated its spring commencement here on May 8, as the two last-minute speakers Yolanda Williams and Zaria Tucker — who were announced the day before — touted the Class of 2026 as resilient “bricks in the monuments of excellence.”

They also praised students for successfully protesting the previously scheduled speaker, highlighting their power to demand change and uphold the university’s legacy.

The previous speaker, whose invitation was rescinded, was S.C. Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who also is a conservative Republican gubernatorial candidate. 

The decision to dump Evettte as the speaker followed major, week-long student protests against her selection, citing the Republian’s alignment with policies they felt did not represent the HBCU’s values.

Following the protests, SCSU President Alexander Conyers rescinded the invitation to Evette, noting he wanted to ensure a focus on the graduates.

The ceremony went on without Evette, with the focus turning back to the student body and achievements.The event marked the largest graduating class in 12 years, with around 380 students.

The letter was signed by Representatives Gil Gatch, John Kilmartin, Thomas Beach, Jackie Terribile, Sarita Edgerton, Josiah Magnuson, John McCravy III, Melissa Oremus and Cal Forrest.

Following are key aspects of the effort to defund SCSU:

• The catalyst: SCSU cancelled Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette’s commencement speech after student protests and a petition with over 20,000 signatures. Students cited concerns over her political positions and alleged a lack of support for their values.

• Lawmakers’ action: Nine GOP lawmakers, including members of the House Freedom Caucus, sent a letter calling for the university to receive zero funding in the 2025-26 budget, noting the state’s only public HBCU is scheduled to receive more than $34 million.

• Reasoning: Lawmakers expressed concern that a top state official was “unwelcome” and that her safety could not be guaranteed. They framed it as a response to the “cancel culture” of refusing to hear conservative points of view.

• Backlash and defense: The HBCU Campaign Fund denounced the efforts to defund the school. Critics and supporters of SCSU pointed out the school’s history of being underfunded and described the move as overreaching, arguing students should not be punished.