State lawmakers have been talking about potentially defunding an in-state university after the politically motived cancellation of their commencement speaker. Several state legislators have been eyeing the possibility of defunding S.C. State University after the school cancelled Lt. Governor Pam Evette's planned speech there.
Evette has been invited to speak at commencement and then was canceled after a firestorm of protests on campus at S.C. State. The University's President Alex Conyers rescinded the invite under pressure from students, alumni and others. The tension turned up when Evette referred to the protesters as " a woke mob".
Since then the Greenville NAACP Chapter has responded after the threats to defund S.C. State. The organization said that the alleged retaliatory actions against the HBCU do not come as a surprise.
Branch President Emanuel Flemming Sr said “Historically, whenever Black institutions assert autonomy, speak truth, or refuse to bow to political pharaohs, there is always an effort to punish, silence, or strip resources,” Evette responded saying “I think the the broader point in this is that we see this happening with one style of speech,” Conservative views are getting canceled all over the country".
