Identity of Speakers
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Pamela Evette
Unaffiliated
Invited for non-academic lectureSouth Carolina Lieutenant Governor
Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
University-sponsored lecture/address/panel
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Incident Political Orientation:
Not Clear -
Incident Responses:
Rally or Protests
Other
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Incident Status:
No litigation
- Did not involve Speech Codes
Summary
On April 29, 2026, South Carolina State University announced that South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette would no longer deliver the keynote address at its commencement ceremony after students protested her selection as speaker. The university replaced Evette with the student body president and an alumni representative, who delivered remarks during the ceremony. University officials stated that the decision followed discussions with students and other members of the campus community.
The controversy began on April 28, 2026, when the university announced that Evette would speak at commencement. Students organized protests following the announcement and objected to Evette’s political positions, including her opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at public universities, her support for conservative policies on issues including abortion and transgender-related legislation, and her alignment with former President Donald Trump’s policy agenda. Some students argued that those positions conflicted with the university’s history and values as a historically Black university.
Following the protests, Evette defended her selection and criticized those opposing her appearance. In social media posts, she referred to protesters as “woke mobs” and “leftist protestors” and wrote that they were “going to really hate my speech,” adding “Bring it on!” and “See you at commencement.” After the university withdrew the invitation, Evette characterized the decision as an effort to silence conservative viewpoints.
Following the university’s decision, some Republican lawmakers criticized South Carolina State and called for reductions in state funding, arguing that canceling the appearance of a sitting Republican lieutenant governor raised concerns about viewpoint discrimination. On June 30, 2026, Evette addressed the controversy again, stating that “peaceful protest is not a mob” while continuing to criticize efforts to remove her from the commencement program.
