Students at a historic HBCU in South Carolina protested their school’s choice of commencement speaker, the right-wing lieutenant governor of the state. Demonstrations continue against the university’s choice of speaker, with many on campus and beyond outraged that a MAGA-aligned politician in the middle of her campaign for governor was invited to address the historically Black institution.

SC State students protest right-wing lieutenant governor’s upcoming commencement speech

Students at South Carolina State University protested Tuesday after learning the university had chosen South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette to be the 2026 commencement speaker, WIC News 10 reported. Students at SC State, which is the only public four-year institution among the state’s eight HBCUs, marched on campus with protest signs and also staged a sit-in to oppose Evette’s selection, arguing that the Trump-supporting conservative Republican did not match the values or interests of SCSU and its students. Gianna Wright, one of the student protesters, spoke to WIC News 10 about Evette’s selection, saying, “None of her viewpoints align with any Black person that goes to this school. It’s a slap in the face. It’s distasteful. It’s disrespectful.” Student Government President Zaria Tucker wrote in a Facebook post, “Commencement is one of the most important moments of our collegiate experience, it should reflect the voices, values, and lived experiences of the students it celebrates.” And Democratic State Rep. Hamilton Grant, an SC State alum, criticized the selection of a speaker who has stances that “go against historical Black colleges and universities,” Grant said, according to the South Carolina Daily Gazette.

In addition to the on-campus marches and sit-in, an online petition against Evette’s commencement address gathered over 12,000 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon. “Pamela Evette’s political positions and affiliations have raised significant controversy in South Carolina, especially among communities who feel marginalized by current state policies,” the petition reads. “Many students, families, and alumni are concerned that her presence at one of our most significant events does not reflect the values we collectively hold dear.” Opponents of Evette’s upcoming speech point to her vocal support for President Donald Trump and his policies. Evette has pushed Trump’s campaign to end diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and she has aligned with the president’s immigration agenda, pushing a plan to build a detention center in the state for undocumented immigrants. Evette also defended Trump when he posted a racist AI-generated video that portrayed Barack and Michelle Obama as apes; Evette dismissed outrage over the incident as “another case of Trump Derangement Syndrome as media and politicians melt down over two seconds of an auto-generated clip that was clearly posted in error.”

University administration, Evette respond to protests

SC State University President Alexander Conyers met with some of the student protesters and initially defended the choice of Evette as commencement speaker. “She has a story if you would listen to it. She’s a female business owner. a millionaire business owner. She has a story that none of you may not know that I’m not fully aware. I know a lot of it,” Conyers told the students, according to WIC News 10. Conyers did not indicate that the university was considering a change in speaker, but he did tell protesters, “I’ve heard your concerns, and as updates become available, we will certainly update you.” Evette’s selection as commencement speaker comes nearly a decade after Gov. Henry McMaster was chosen to deliver the 2017 commencement speech at SC State. Students protested that choice as well, but McMaster remained speaker, per the South Carolina Daily Gazette.

The governor’s office said in a statement that Evette was “honored to accept the invitation” to speak at the May 8 commencement ceremony, per WIC News 10. Evette, who successfully ran as McMaster’s running mate in 2018 and 2022, has given commencement speeches at Spartanburg Community College, Lander University and Francis Marion University in the last few years. Evette also posted a video message on social media, claiming that “President Trump and conservatives have done more for HBCUs than any administration in history” and blaming “woke mobs” for the on-campus protests against her commencement address. “I’m ending DEI on campuses once and for all. Stay tuned. I’m going to have a lot more to say about this later,” Evette says in the video.

On Wednesday, the university released a statement continuing to defend the choice of Evette but announcing that “out of an abundance of caution for safety, and with careful consideration, the university has decided to move in a different direction for this spring commencement.”