South Carolina State University, the flag of which is seen flying from the Statehouse dome in Columbia, South Carolina, on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, asked its student body president and alumni association leader to speak after disinviting Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette from commencement. (Photo courtesy of Sam Holland/SC House photographer)
COLUMBIA — The South Carolina State University student president who called for administrators to disinvite the lieutenant governor from commencement will give one of the keynote speeches instead, the university announced Thursday.
The announcement came just over a week after the historically Black university disinvited Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who is also running for governor, following student protests.
Zaria Tucker, whose term as president of the Student Government Association just ended, will join the president of the university’s alumni association, Yolanda Williams, in speaking to the nearly 400 students graduating Friday morning.
SC State University disinvites Lt. Gov. Evette from commencement after outcry
“Commencement is a moment to recognize our students’ hard work and readiness for what comes next,” university President Alexander Conyers said in a statement. “Both Ms. Williams and Ms. Tucker bring perspectives that will add meaning to that moment.”
Tucker is a psychology major from Clinton and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. In her role as student present, she “distinguished herself as a thoughtful and effective student leader who understands both the responsibility and the impact of her role,” Conyers said.
Williams, who graduated in 1995 with a degree in mathematics, works as a lead analytics consultant for Wells Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Orangeburg native “is a loyal daughter of SC State whose dedication to her alma mater is evident in her continued service to our students and this institution,” Conyers said.
They will speak in place of Evette, who the university first invited in December. No official announcement of Evette’s role came until last week, when the university said she was no longer invited.
Lt. Gov. Evette set to give SC State commencement speech, causing student protest
Students who heard about the choice ahead of time said they didn’t feel Evette represented their “voices, values, and lived experiences,” as Tucker wrote in a Facebook post.
Evette’s speech would have taken place just over a month ahead of the June 9 primary, where she’ll face off against five other Republicans for the nomination.
Evette told reporters her speech was neither “politically charged” nor geared for GOP voters and would instead focus on her own life experiences and how they reflected the American dream.
But she used the backlash as a chance to campaign on social media, calling protesting students “woke mobs” and challenging her opponents to “bring it on.”
Courtesy of South Carolina Daily Gazette
