South Carolina State University is now part of state budget negotiations as the fallout continues from the Pamela Evette commencement controversy as some republicans eye the state’s only public HBCU.
The latest development centers on $5 million in proposed funding for a convocation center at SC State. According to WIS, several Republicans in the General Assembly have urged members of the budget conference committee to block that money after the university removed Evette as its commencement speaker.
Evette, South Carolina’s lieutenant governor, had been scheduled to speak at SC State’s May 8 commencement. The university later changed course following days of student protests and cited security concerns in its decision.
Students objected to Evette’s appearance because of her political views, her support for President Donald Trump and her public opposition to DEI efforts. Evette, who is running for governor as a Republican, responded by calling the protesters a “woke mob” and said she would not apologize.
Now, the dispute has moved from Orangeburg to Columbia.
Rep. Melissa Oremus, a Republican from Aiken, is among the lawmakers pushing to remove the $5 million allocation. She told WIS the matter is not about whether South Carolina State is an HBCU.
“It’s about whether a publicly funded university should allow a small group of students to decide which viewpoints are acceptable to hear,” Oremus said.
The lawmakers’ letter argues that students did not have to agree with Evette. It says they should have had the chance to hear from her and decide for themselves.
Commencement decision sparks budget fight
This follows weeks of Republican criticism aimed at South Carolina State.
In May, nine Republican representatives sent a letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bruce Bannister after SC State announced Evette would not speak. That letter raised concerns about the university’s decision and questioned whether state funding should continue if the lieutenant governor was not welcome on campus.
Evette supported that effort. At the time, SC State President Alexander Conyers said the university had decided “to move in a different direction” for commencement. He said the original intent was to provide graduates with a speaker whose professional journey could offer practical insight and inspiration as they prepared to enter the workforce.
Conyers also said the university would welcome Evette back to campus later for constructive engagement with students, faculty and staff outside the celebratory nature of commencement. That distinction did not end the political reaction.
Republican lawmakers have framed the cancellation as a free speech issue. Their argument is that a public university should not withdraw a speaker because students object to that speaker’s politics.
For protesting students and alumni, the issue was different. They argued commencement should reflect the values, history and lived experiences of South Carolina State graduates. Many also said Evette’s comments about DEI and “woke” critics made her presence inappropriate for the ceremony.
South Carolina State awaits budget decision
The budget process now becomes the next stage of the fight. The $5 million for a convocation center is not just a line item. It is now tied to a larger debate over politics, campus speech, state power and HBCU autonomy.
South Carolina State is the only publicly funded HBCU in South Carolina. That status makes the funding question especially sensitive.
State support affects facilities, student services, campus infrastructure and long-term planning. A proposed convocation center could serve multiple needs, including athletics, student events, ceremonies and community gatherings.
The Senate GOP Caucus told WIS it had no statement at this time. That leaves the funding debate in the hands of budget negotiators.
No final decision has been announced on whether the $5 million will remain in the budget. But the message from several Republican lawmakers is clear. They want the state to respond financially to SC State’s handling of the Evette controversy.
What started as a campus protest over a commencement speaker has become a state budget fight.
For South Carolina State, the stakes are no longer limited to who stands at the podium. They now include whether political fallout from that decision could affect public funding for the HBCU’s future.