Latest / Black Box Theory Podcast / BBT #15 Snippet | SC State Rescinded a Commencement Speaker, Got Threatened With Defunding
Transcript
- Thomas: Many people, in the HBCU community, you might have heard about South Carolina State University situation with commencement. Man, I don't know what them boys were thinking. But for context, right, for people who don't know, South Carolina State University, a historically black college, or ⁓ HBCU in Orangeburg, South Carolina, invited Lieutenant Governor Pamela Yvette Malcolm: ⁓ man! Mm-hmm. Thomas: If I'm saying that right Pam leave as its spring commencement speaker scheduled for May 8 2026 students immediately pushed back an online petition to rescind the invitation received over 2,000 signatures Students held silent protests on campus the core argument inviting a Republican lieutenant governor aligned with trumps with the Trump administration's elimination of DEI programs and abolition of faculty Tenure at colleges would be a disservice to the values and mission of HBCU and the students it serves and just for more context She she was removed as the speaker and in response well actually no for once she called them mobs The silent peaceful protests, I guess anytime black people organize. It's a mob But you know I do remember a group of people did organize and actually riot over a Super Bowl win or a football game anywho, but then they Malcolm: I can think of another riot at one of the nation's most significant buildings or areas. I remember that when people were climbing up into the capital and setting fire to stuff. Thomas: you Hey, those were taxpayers with over a 650 credit score or 750 credit score. mean, those are good people. Malcolm: Of course, of course, of course. are all law-abiding citizens, never did anything wrong. So yeah, yeah, of course, of course. Thomas: And yeah, so I mean, but so she was removed and, ⁓ you know, after clearly proving the point and get, I'm pretty sure I saw that they, forgot who it was. I don't know if it was the governor since she was the lieutenant governor, but basically I think the school is being hit with a funding punishment. But yeah, what are your thoughts on this, man? Malcolm: I think this is ridiculous. think that as a, ⁓ mean, you can't, I don't put any of the blame on students, obviously. I put whoever's on the commencement planning and execution committee, ⁓ the fault goes to them. The chancellor, like ⁓ that C-suite of executives that oversee this commencement. ⁓ like, like, as an HBCU, feel like you need ⁓ anything, We already are, we already get a bad name as it is for. not having housing, not having the same funding for always being, you know, having something going on in the news that's not always in our best light. But it's like, feel like as an HBCU leader, especially at a time as significant as commencement and graduation where all of these, you know, horrible students that then import themselves into these last, you know, into these last four years, like to walk this stage, like the culmination for this one very moment. And I feel like you have to be just... just socially and politically aware at all times as an HBCU because like the things that you do like it's more than just your school I feel like it's a it's it's a stance right for for all people that look like us and it's like when you bring on someone like this and someone like the I've seen some of her videos like just kind of like it's like the pushback for people protesting she's calling the students that are peacefully protesting on their college campus or calling them left She was calling them like left-wing mob members. I'm like, she was like, yeah, if you guys like, she was like, it's just like, it's almost like she is, she enjoys like people going against her because she feels like her points are so just well-rooted and so correct that it's just like, ⁓ if you're going against me, you just hate Trump and you hate our policies and this and that. it's just like, bro, she is literally the, exact opposite of everything that an HBCU stands for. She is the exact opposite of everything that an HBCU stands for. It's just like bro like her entire stance and position it's about making sure that less of the people that come out of this university get into the rooms that she's in. She wants to like she wants to destroy everything that makes up an HBCU. She wants to remove DEI. She's aligned with all of Trump's policies like Why? She wants the cut. And she says so many outright, she says so many outright, just false statements saying that, ⁓ yeah, Trump has provided the most funding out of any president in history for HBCUs. And this is like, I just feel like it's so crazy how like these people just bold-faced lie so plainly ⁓ no fear of getting fact-checked or validated. It's just insane to me. It's just like, I feel like this was really ⁓ miss on ⁓ State. Thomas: Yeah. Malcolm: And everyone that kind of went into that committee, I don't know, what were you thinking? you think she was just going to change her stance because she's coming to talk to a bunch of bi people? If anything, she's going to double down on some of her stances to make it known that like, ⁓ yeah, I'm not with you guys. I feel like that was just a very oblivious... just kind of like missing context, just kind of moment. think that that was very poorly planned and executed by SC State. And I really hope that they bring someone on that embodies the values of an HBCU and of that institution ⁓ a bit more clearly.