NCCU Now Fall 2022

Photo courtesy of Morgan Crutchfield Photography

Greetings

from the chief brand officer

Dear NCCU Community:

Writing to you just before the 2022 edition of The Ultimate Homecoming Experience is surreal. By the time you read this, celebrations will be in full gear. The sloping hills and verdant green of North Caro lina Central University (NCCU) will be jam-packed with Eagles from many generations, fellowshipping with each other and enjoying the festivities on and around campus.

The role of chief brand officer is new to the uni versity, and it behooves me to explain in a nutshell how I seek to serve NCCU. While there are many definitions of a brand, the one I like best is that a brand is the sum of all expressions by which an entity intends to be recognized. Those “expressions” could include products, services, designs, rituals, experi ences, processes and more.

Every interaction a member of the NCCU community has with a prospec tive family, current student, fellow colleague, inquiring alumna, corporate donor or recruiter influences the way that person or organization recognizes NCCU the institution. My team’s role is to ensure – directly or otherwise – that those interactions enhance the university’s reputation, attract the stakehold ers we desire and showcase the impeccable value of an NCCU education.

In the few months that I have been a member of this community, I have had the privilege of meeting so many alumni and friends of NCCU. Thank you for graciously welcoming me to the Nest. The love and fondness you have for “Dear Old N.C.C.” is tangible, and I am thrilled to be with you and looking for ward to working alongside you.

In Truth and Service, Stephen W. Fusi

Stephen W. Fusi Chief Brand Officer

NCCU

NOW

MAGAZINE

is published by North Carolina Central University's Office of Communications and Marketing, 1801 Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC 27707. View digital versions of past issues at issuu.com/nccentraluniv

NCCU NOW CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR: Stephen Fusi

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Pandora Frazier ’82

WRITERS AND COPY EDITORS: Rebekkah Barber ’16, Kia Bell, Ayana D. Hernandez, Quiana Shepard, Rob Waters, Karen Willenbrecht, Keisha Williams, L.D. Wills

PHOTOGRAPHY: Chioke Brown ’11, Samantha Everette, Ronald Parker, DeAndres Royal ’09, Vernon Samuel ’14,

STUDENT INTERN: Jaylen Segers ’22

ADMINISTRATION CHANCELLOR Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D.

PROVOST AND VICE CHANCELLOR OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS David H. Jackson Jr., Ph.D.

VICE CHANCELLOR OF ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE Akua J. Matherson, M.Ed.

VICE CHANCELLOR OF STUDENT AFFAIRS Angela Alvarado Coleman, Ed.D.

VICE CHANCELLOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Susan Hester

CHIEF OF STAFF Catherine Edmonds, Ed.D.

NCCU BOARD OF TRUSTEES

CHAIR Kevin M. Holloway ’75

VICE CHAIR Michael P. Johnson ’69 SECRETARY Oita C. Coleman

MEMBERS:

Roderick G. Allison ’95

William V. Bell

G. Keith Chadwell

Emily M. Dickens ’95, ’99, ’02

Alexandra Valladares ’10, ’14

James Mitchell Jr. ’85

Cornell Slade ’75

Manuhe Abebe ’24

Hellena Huntley Tidwell ’68 James L. Walker ’88

For the latest NCCU NEWS, visit www.nccu.edu.

CONGRATULATIONS Graduates

Photographer: Vernon Samuel

PICTURED: JASMINE HENDERSON '22 I Juris Doctorate I NCCU School of Law Hometown: Bridgeport, CT

Chancellor’s Message

Greetings,

The Fall 2022 semester is off to a great start. Students are back to campus in full force and we are excited to usher in a return to the high-energy, student-centered environment we know and love at North Carolina Central Univer sity. While we continue to offer COVID-19 testing on campus, there have been no major issues with COVID-19 thus far in the academic year.

If y ou had walked through our campus two short years ago (admittedly, those years were not so short, after all!), you might be forgiven for wondering if you have returned to the same campus when you visit the sloping hills and verdant green today. We have completed four new major capital projects, including the NCCU STUDENT CENTER and three PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP (P3) RESIDENCE HALLS , each of which was celebrated at the grand opening held on April 26, 2022 (pages 8–9).

I am thrille d to update you on the progress we have made in building out our executive leadership team and other senior leaders across the university. We have made many NEW APPOINTMENTS to critical roles and these talented individuals are already working to move the university forward (see pages 12 – 15).

We c elebrated the graduating classes of the 138th Fall 2021 and 139th Spring 2022 Commencement ceremonies and I invite you to read the inspiring stories of a selection of our Spring graduates (see pages 15–25).

North C arolina Central University is an incubator for remarkable people. The three Eagle alumni who have served as MacArthur Foundation Fellows, REV. WILLIAM J. BARBER II, PH.D., IBRAHIM CISSÉ, PH.D., and TRESSIE McMILLAN COTTOM, PH.D. , since 2018 are clear examples of this (more on pages. 30–33).

Thank y ou for everything you do to support NCCU and our commitment to excellence.

In Truth and Service.

Johnson O. Akinleye

Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D. Chancellor

/ 1 / NCCU Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye greets alumni during the Duke's Mayo Classic game held in Charlotte, N.C. / 2 / Along with members of the Fayette ville Alumni Chapter, Chancellor Akinleye, congratu lats newly-admitted students / 3 / NCCU's beam signing for the School of Business, held Feb. 2021. (Pictured L-R) Jaden Pledger, an NCCU junior majoring in business administration and marketing; Anthony C. Nelson, dean, School of Business; Akua J. Matherson, CFO and vice chancellor for Administration & Finance; Provost David H. Jackson Jr., provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs; and Johnson O. Akinleye, chancellor.

g RESIDENTIAL HALLS

Lawson Street Residential Complex

NCCU Student Center

(Above, below) NCCU Student Center

Photo by Jim Sink Photography

Photo by Jim Sink Photography

NCCU CELEBRATES OPENINGS OF A NEW STUDENT CENTER AND THREE NEW RESIDENTIAL HALLS

ON APRIL 26, NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY commemorated the grand opening of three state-of-the-art buildings — George Street Residential Complex, Lawson Street Residential Complex and Alston Avenue Apartments.

The $55.4 million NCCU Student Center officially opened in January and replaces the Alfonso Elder Student Union, which was built in 1968. The new student center is a 100,230-square-foot building and sits on the corner of Nelson and Fayetteville streets. The building seats up to

750 people for banquets and 1,100 people for a lecture setup.

RESIDENCE HALLS

NCCU also has three new resi dential halls: Lawson Street Residential Complex, Alston Avenue Apartments and George Street Residential Complex.

The public-private partner ship with Provident Resources Group Inc. has added a total of 1,274 new beds in semi-suite and apartment-style units. The Alston Avenue Apartments and George Street Residential Apartments opened in late 2020. The Law son Street Residential Complex opened in January 2022.

Alston Avenue Apartments

George Street Residential Complex

New Members Named to the NCCU Board of Trustees

Appointed by the University of North Carolina (UNC) Board of Governors, ALEXANDRA VALLADARES, director of Community Collaboration, East Coast Migrant Head Start Program, will serve the balance of the four-year term of former trust ee John Herrera, who resigned June 2022. Her partial term will end on June 30, 2025.

Valladares is a double Eagle, having earned her bachelor’s degree in 2010 and master’s degree in 2014 from NCCU.

MANUHE ABEBE, 2022-2023 president of the NCCU Student Government Associa

tion, joins the Board of Trustees for a one-year term. Abebe, from Apex, N.C., is a junior majoring in mass communica tions with a concentration in public relations at NCCU.

Current board members reappointed to the Board of Trustees include

HOLLOWAY

Kevin M. Holloway

Chairman

Hellena H. Tidwell

James Mitchell Cornell Slade

William V. Bell

Roderick G. Allison

G. Keith Chadwell

James S. Walker

Emily M. Dickens

Oita C. Coleman Secretary

Michael Johnson Vice Chairman

board of trustees

KEVIN M.

, MICHAEL JOHNSON, OITA C. COLEMAN, RODERICK G. ALLISON, WILLIAM V. BELL, G. KEITH CHADWELL, EMILY M. DICKENS, JAMES MITCHELL, CORNELL SLADE, HELLENA H. TIDWELL and JAMES S. WALKER.

TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, PLEASE CONTACT:

NCCU Board of Trustees Office of the Chancellor Email: kmax1@nccu.edu

Meetings are held the fourth Wednesday of the meeting months: Sept., Nov., 2022; Feb., April, June, Sept. and Nov. in 2023

NCCU Department of Mass Communication Names Wells Fargo Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor

orth Carolina Central University welcomes AERIAL ELLIS, ED.D., as its Wells Fargo Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor for the NCCU De partment of Mass Communication.

A public relations industry leader, Ellis joins NCCU faculty from Lipscomb Uni versity in Nashville, Tenn., where she taught courses in public relations, cross-cultural communication, organizational communication and leadership for 10 years. She also lectured in Nepal, London and South Africa as an expert in intercultur al communication and competence.

In her new role, Ellis will support the strategic vision of the department while bolstering visibili ty and growth of the public relations concentration through teaching, research and thought leadership.

“When we have opportunities to hire new professors, our department looks to add colleagues who contribute to the engaged learning that our instructors provide and provide connec tions to professional practice opportunities for our students,” says Calvin Hall, Ph.D., department chair. “So, we are excited about the professional exper tise and energy that Dr. Aerial Ellis will add to our faculty and look forward to her contributions in helping us continue to foster student success.”

Ellis is managing principal of Advisory 83, a consultancy committed to strategic planning, communication and education in the space of diversity, equity and inclusion. Her work has been enlisted by the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities, AIG, Asurion, Learfield, Microsoft, National Urban League, Starbucks, Teach for America, and US Army Corps of Engineers, among others.

In 2021, Ellis was appointed president of the Public Relations Society of America Founda tion Board of Directors, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to advancing diversity and inclusion within the communications profession through scholarships and educational resources.

The Memphis, Tenn., native obtained a bachelor’s in speech communication from Tennessee State University and a master's in mass communication from Middle Tennessee State University. Ellis also earned a global executive doctoral degree from the University of Southern California.

Manuhe Abebe

Alexandra Valladares

Catherine Edmonds, Ed.D. Chief of Staff

Catherine Edmonds, Ed.D., was appointed as chief of staff.

Dr. Edmonds will advise, support, coordinate and col laborate on initiatives for NCCU’s Chancellor Dr. Johnson O. Akinleye. She will provide leadership and direction for change management initiatives, project management and program development on behalf of Chancellor Akinleye, as well as plan and direct all administrative, financial and operational activities for the Office of the Chancellor.

A distinguished leader, Dr. Edmonds comes to NCCU with almost 30 years of experience, including numerous leadership roles in primary, secondary and higher education, including serving as deputy state superintendent for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Dr. Edmonds earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathe matics from North Carolina A&T State University, a Master of School Administration in Educational Leadership from North Carolina State University and an Ed.D. in Educational Administration from North Carolina State University.

Stephen

W. Fusi Chief Brand Officer

Stephen Fusi was named NCCU’s first chief brand officer, with a mission to create an aspirational brand identity for the university to engage and attract students.

Fusi will be tasked with showcasing how the NCCU ecosystem of faculty, staff, alumni, corporate partners, and donors work together to create a meaningful and inviting learning experience. He will be responsible for bringing the brand identity to life through digital and traditional media, while also shaping marketing strategies as student career interests and future employer needs evolve.

Fusi is the former managing director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. He previously served as chief marketing officer for The Safe + Fair Food Company and was vice president, Customer Experience and Marketing Technology, at Fidelity Charitable, the largest public charity in the United States.

Fusi holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and an MBA from Duke University.

Mohammad Ahmed, Ph.D. Dean, College of Health and Sciences

Dr. Mohammad Ahmed, a professor of physics and mathematics at NCCU, was named inaugural dean of the newly reorganized College of Health and Sciences. He will serve as the unit’s chief academic officer and provide administrative oversight for all aspects of academic life within the college.

Ahmed earned a bachelor of science degree in Physics and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Houston. He performed research at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory at Duke University, and was an assistant research professor of physics at Duke until his arrival at NCCU in 2011.

faculty and staff

Deepak Kumar, Ph.D.

Associate

Derrick Magee, Associate Vice Chancellor of Campus Enterprises

Derrick Magee was named associate vice chancellor of Campus Enterprises, formerly Busi ness and Auxiliary Services. He previously served as interim director of the office.

Magee joined NCCU in October 2015 as associate athletics director for Finance and was named senior associate athletics director for Finance and Administration in 2017.

Magee previously held roles in the athletics departments and business offices of Alabama State University, the University of Cincinnati and University of the Pacific.

Magee earned his MBA from California State University and is pursuing a Doctor of Busi ness Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Provost and Dean, Research and Sponsored Programs

Dr. Deepak Kumar was appointed interim associate provost and dean, Research and Sponsored Programs.

Kumar is a tenured professor of pharmaceutical sciences and will continue serving as director of the Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute (JLC-BBRI), a dedicated institute for health disparities research at NCCU. As director of BBRI, Kumar serves as the scientific leader of NCCU’s JLC-BBRI research facilities in Durham and Kannapolis, N.C. (North Carolina Research Campus-NCRC).

Louis “Skip” Perkins,

Director of Athletics

Ph.D.

Louis “Skip” Perkins was named director of athletics, a role he has held at three different NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision institutions, with teams captur ing 10 conference championships during his tenure.

Perkins joined NCCU from Morgan State University, where he was assistant vice president for development, helping to secure record fundraising contributions during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Prior to his role as senior development officer at Coppin State University, Perkins was the associate vice presi dent and director of athletics at Delaware State University from 2015-17. During that time, the Hornets secured four

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships and boasted the highest grade point average in the athletics program history.

He was director of athletics at Howard University from 201015 and held the same role at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff from 2007-10. He also served as an assistant athletics director at NCCU from 2006-07.

Perkins holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and master’s degrees in public administration and instructional media, all from NCCU, and a doctorate in Education from Delaware State University.

faculty and staff

appointments

Susan Hester

Vice Chancellor for the Division of Institution Advancement

Susan Hester was appointed vice chancellor for Institutional Advancement.

In this role, Hester will oversee the division and manage the overall operation of fundraising efforts for the university.

She joined NCCU two decades ago and has held numerous roles, including serving as interim vice chancel lor, associate vice chancellor and director of Corporate and Foundation Relations for Institutional Advancement and executive director of the NCCU Foundation.

Will Guzmán, Ph.D. Assistant Vice Chancellor for International Programs and Community Engagement

Will Guzmán was named assistant vice chancellor for International Programs and Community Engagement. As NCCU’s senior interna tional officer, he will expand study abroad and global exchange experiences. He will also create community collaborations with the Univer sity’s government, corporate and nonprofit partners. Guzmán has 27 years of administrative experience.

He previous served as director of Florida A&M Univer sity’s Office of Black Diasporan Culture, where he was a liaison to the Bahamas.

Guzmán holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Texas-El Paso, a master’s degree from Florida State University and a bachelor’s degree from FAMU.

Michael Bailey, M.A. Director of Undergraduate Admissions

Michael Bailey was named director of Undergraduate Admissions. He leads the office in planning and partici pating in recruitment events; monitoring the application processes; and marketing to and attracting diverse groups of prospective students, parents and educators. He previously served as coordinator of transportation and parking services at NCCU.

Kweneshia Price, Ph.D. Associate Dean of University College

Kweneshia Price was appointed associate dean of Unives rity College. As associate dean, Price will oversee critical areas within University College, including the Aspiring Eagles Academy, Tutoring and Supplemental Instruction, Writing and Speaking Studio, Title III, Project Success, Rock the Lyceum Lecture series, and other student access and engagement initiatives.

Price holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Master of Arts degree in Urban Community Counseling from Norfolk State University, and a doctorate in educa tional leadership from East Carolina University.

BAILEY PRICE

Johnny Hill, Ph.D. Director of Corporate and Foundation Engagement

Johnny Bernard Hill was named director of Corporate and Foundation Engagement, where he will facilitate engagement and strategic relationships between NCCU, corporations and private foundations in support of institutional priorities and initiatives.

Hill previously was dean of Shaw University Divinity School and co-director of the Center for Racial and Social Justice. Before that, he was department chair and professor at Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C.

Hill holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Morehouse College, Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees from Duke University, and a Ph.D. in philosophical theology from Northwestern University.

Charnequa Kennedy, M.Ed., Ed.S. Director of the Counseling Center

Charnequa Kennedy was named as the NCCU Counseling Center director and oversees mental health services and resources the university provides to students. Kennedy previously served as director of counseling services at Tennessee State University.

Frank Hartfield Jr., M.S. Director of COVID Management and Response

Frank Hartfield Jr. was appointed director of COVID Management and Response and provides guidance for the university vaccine clinic; testing, reporting and contact tracing of students; and quarantine and isolation policies for students. He previously served as the interim associate director and assistant director of administration in the Office of Residential Life.

Genesis Wallace HR Manager for Employment, Classification and Compensation

Genesis Wallace was named HR Manager for Employ ment, Classification and Compensation. From 2007 to 2012, Wallace served as the administrative support asso ciate for the NCCU Department of Physics and later for the Department of Biology. In 2012, Wallace matriculated to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she served as the business service coordinator, human resources specialist, human resources consultant, and business officer.

WALLACE

KENNEDY

HARTFIELD

HILL

GRADUATES' PERSEVERANCE AND AUTHENTICITY ON DISPLAY

More than 540 undergraduate students at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) received bachelor’s degrees on Friday morning, May 6, 2022, in spirited ceremonies at McDougald-McLendon Arena.

Chanc ellor Johnson O. Akinleye hailed the graduates as a “distinct class,” noting that they “matriculated and graduated at a time like no other – when a global pandemic interrupted and uprooted our lives.” He praised the students for their “responsible and creatively disciplined” perseverance as they dealt with hybrid classes and a host of activities held in an online environment.

Photos courtesy of Samantha Everette

Above: Dr. Quinton Parker, accepts posthumus degree for brother and fallen Eagle, Courtland Parker.

The c ommencement exercises, initially planned for outdoors at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium, were moved to the arena because of the prediction for inclement weather.

A highlight of the c eremony was the awarding of honorary degrees to the ROYAL ICE CREAM PARLOR SEVEN or “Royal Seven,” the activists who took part in an early and under-appreciated civil rights protest in Durham. On June 23, 1957, a young minister, DOUGLAS MOORE , and six teenag ers challenged segregation at Royal Ice Cream, a white-owned business in Durham’s Black commu nity. Their sit-in garnered little attention beyond the local press, but it anticipated the higher-profile protests that followed, most notably the sit-in that began in 1960 at a segregated Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro.

Ac companying Moore, a 1949 graduate of what was then called North Carolina College at Durham, were MARY CLYBURN HOOKS; VIRGINIA WILLIAMS; the late CLAUDE GLENN ; the late MELVIN WILLIS ; the late VIVIAN JONES ; and the late JESSE GRAY .

They were arrested and later fined. Represented by attorneys William Marsh Jr., BS, LLB ‘53, and Floyd McKissick, L‘51, the group appealed, but lost in the N.C. Superior Court and the N.C. Supreme Court.

Ho oks and Williams, the two surviving mem bers of the group, were honored in person with presentation of the Doctor of Humane Letters degree. The degrees were presented posthumously to the other participants, most of whom were rep resented by members of their families.

D elivering the commencement address was AGNES MOSS , a 1996 NCCU graduate who is the founder of the National Black Movie Association and creator of National Black Movie Day. It is an organization committed to opening the film industry to under-represented groups, and specifically to provide opportunities for students and alumni of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

“I’m lo oking at many stories,” Moss told the graduates. “Life is about living fully and telling your story authentically. Tell your story –your story will help you find you.”

The story, however, “is a process,” she said. “Be patient – the value of your story lies in your journey.”

Moss said she aspired to be a filmmaker when she was young, but encountered rejection after rejection and pursued other career paths. “I gave up,” she said. “But this story has a happy ending.” She quit a successful career in public relations to found the National Black Movie Association in 2019. “My purpose,” she said, “has evolved to offer opportunity for the next generation of storytellers.”

is about living fully and telling your story authentically. Tell your story – your story will help you find you. The story, however, “is a pro cess. Be patient – the value of your story lies in your journey.”

—AGNES MOSS '96

Life

The "Royal Seven" receives honorary degrees

TIMOTHY MULROONEY , associate professor in the NCCU Department of Environment, Earth and Geospatial Sciences, was presented with the University of North Carolina Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching. His extensive work in open-source programming and data-mining techniques to assess geographic information systems and metadata integrity along with his commitment to training students in the geographic sciences were noted.

Additionally, three NCCU professors—Jessica Ganao, Ph.D., Hilary N. Huskey and Charity Watkins, Ph.D.—were recognized as recipients of the 2022 NCCU Award for Excellence in Teach ing.

A p osthumous Bachelor of Science degree in behavioral and social sciences was presented to the brother and parents of Courtland Parker, a student who passed away in December 2021.

’ BY ROB WATERS

student Life EMPOWERED TO DO THE EXTRAORDINARY

To the cheers of their families and friends, some 450 graduate and law students at NCCU received master’s and Juris Doctor degrees on, May 7, 2022, during the 139th Com mencement exercises at McDougald-McLendon Arena.

This remarkable attainment of earn ing your diploma took increased focus, endurance and dedication,” Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D., NCCU chancellor, told the graduates. “COVID-19 has transformed nearly every aspect of our society, but through it all—hybrid classes, a first-ever virtual Homecoming and a host of interactions and activities that were held in an online environment—you remained compliant, responsible and became creatively disciplined with our ‘new normal.’”

D elivering the commencement address was KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS, J.D., mayor of Atlanta from 2018 until January of this year, who told the graduates, “You leave this campus with your cup running over with all you need to succeed.”

Lanc e Bottoms, who drew national attention as mayor for her efforts to promote diversity, inclusion, affordable housing and a commitment to transparency, spoke movingly of the challeng es she faced growing up in Atlanta.

Photos by Vernon Samuel '14

Her father was Major Lance, a renowned and prosperous R&B musician. “But at age 8,” she said, “I learned that people make bad mistakes.”

With the love and support of her family, though, Lance Bottoms excelled as a student. Relying, she said, on “Pell grants, work-study and student loans,” she graduated magna cum laude from Florida A&M University and went on to earn a law degree at Georgia State University.

Still, she said, “I struggle d with impostor syndrome. There was a constant nagging voice asking if I was worthy. Do I belong here?” It took years, she said, but with the love and support of her family, teachers and mentors, she came to realize, “I was more than good enough.”

Urging the graduates to avoid succumbing to self-doubt, she said, “You are equipped and empowered to do extraordinary things. You may face a major loss. What matters is not how many times you fall, but how many times you get back up.”

During the c eremony, Akinleye took a moment to praise the achievements of one of the graduates, Christie Smith of Durham, who at age 20 was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease that has left her legally blind.

“She learne d to embrace her unique journey with visual impairment, which helped her become aware of the overwhelm ing need for service professionals in the field,” Akinleye said.

After earning bachelor’s degrees in psychology from Univer sity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and middle grades educa tion from NCCU, Smith entered a master’s program, specializing in teaching and assistive technology training. The program at NCCU’s School of Education is the only one of its kind in North Carolina and the only one at any historically Black college or university.

“She underwent four major eye surgeries, yet maintained a 4.0 grade point average,” Akinleye said. “Today, she is the first graduate of the visual impairment master’s program with a concentration in assistive technology for individuals with visual impairments. She is interviewing for teaching positions where she can utilize her expertise. Christie, we congratulate you and know that only success lies ahead for you.”

’ BY ROB WATERS

LARGEST BATCH OF EAGLE GRADS

NCCU awarded a record number of degrees during the university’s 138th Commencement Exercises.

Graduates represent largest fall class in university history.

APPROXIMATELY 757 NCCU graduates received their degrees on Dec. 11, 2021, during the university’s 138th Commencement Exercises. The degree recipients included 471 undergradu ates, 278 graduates and 8 juris doctors.

NCC U alumna and University of North Carolina (UNC) Campus Health primary care sports medicine physician NAIMA STENNETT, M.D., delivered the keynote address at both ceremonies, encouraging graduates to “be willing to adapt.”

Stennett offered three guidelines to help graduates navi gate the next chapter in their life, including how to develop a plan with a willingness to rewrite it; the importance of understanding the magnitude of gratitude; and allowing service to be a new measure of success.

“ You are now equipped with what you need as it relates to your ability to continue to adapt and show gratitude. Know that success is synonymous with service,” she said. “No matter what careers you decide to pursue after leaving NCCU, you are all empowered to soar towards greatness.”

KELVIN NIXON JR. ’s initial journey to obtain his degree began in 2002; however, it included many setbacks at various universities and community colleges, which led to academic dismissal. According to Nixon, his academic experience at NCCU was life changing. He appreciates his professors for

their genuine passion for helping students, regardless of status or age, and for inspiring him to educate individuals on the importance of mental health. He was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology.

During the graduate ceremony, NCCU CHANCELLOR JOHNSON O. AKINLEYE recognized Liberia, West Africa native, KENMINA DEVINE, who earned a master’s degree after ob taining a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences from NCCU. After her family's agricultural investment was washed away due to uncharacteristic rainfall, Devine was driven to continue her studies in the Department of Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences’ accelerated graduate program in earth sciences. Her family’s misfortune fueled her graduate research, which sheds light on unique rainfall patterns across Liberia and how climate change has ushered in an era of ex treme rainfall variability in parts of the country. She plans to continue her research in a doctoral program at North Carolina State University.

“No matter what careers you decide to pursue after leaving NCCU, you are all empowered to soar towards greatness.”

— NAIMA STENNETT, M.D.

An estimated 471 bache lor’s degrees were awarded, including 286 Bachelor of Science degrees; 88 Bachelor of Arts degrees; 54 Bachelor of Business Administration degrees; 16 Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees; and 27 Bachelor of Social Work degrees.

Approximately eight grad uates of the NCCU School of Law received their juris doc tor degrees, and an estimated 278 master’s degrees were awarded in areas of science, arts, public administration, library science, social work, education, information sci ence, business administration, teaching, music and school administration.

757

GRADUATES

471

DEGREES 278

DEGREES 8 PROFESSIONAL

Akinleye closed the ceremony by charging the graduates and said, “NCCU is counting on your success and will support you as you as cend to the highest of heights. Nurture the grounds that helped you grow and support your alma mater – with your resources, advocacy and ambassadorship. You have responsibility for sustaining the legacy of these slop ing hills and verdant green.”

’ BY KIA BELL

DEGREES

NCCU is counting on your success and will support you as you ascend to the highest of heights. Nurture the grounds that helped you grow and support your alma mater – with your resources, advocacy and ambassadorship. You have responsibility for sustaining the legacy of these sloping hills and verdant green.”

— Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D., Chancellor

Photos by Chioke Brown ’ 11, Vernon Samuel '14

Serving Meals and Wisdom is a Passion

URQUOISE PARKER, a Durham educator and North Carolina Central University alumna, is well-known and loved throughout Durham. Deeply inspired by groundbreaking women like Septima Clark and Ida B. Wells, Parker takes pride in making sure she invests in her students at Lakewood Elementary School, who she affection ately refers to as her “Professors.” She teaches them about history that is often not taught in school, like how Durham was once home to a Black Wall Street and how wealth inequality endures. Park er also teachers her students how to structure their own business plans, even having them participate in mock “Shark Tank” compe titions. She knows that as much as she tries to equip her students, they still face barriers like food insecurity.

Parker is determined to do every thing she can not to let these barriers hold her students back. When a par ent approached her in 2015 for assis tance feeding her children over the winter break, Parker realized many other families were also in need of help. She texted every contact in her phone asking for donations to feed the students in her class, and the Bull City Foodraiser was born. Though the initiative has been going on for nearly

a decade, the most recent fundrais er attracted unprecedented traction after Parker, with the help of many others, raised over $100,000. Parker credits lessons she learned while at NCCU, particularly during her time in the band, for the success of the drives.

As Parker describes it, “she grew up on Black college campuses.” As a child, she would often travel with her mom, a school counselor/social worker and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorori

ty Inc., to events where the importance of HBCUs was uplifted. When it was time for her to apply to colleges, Parker had three ideas in mind: she knew she wanted to attend an HBCU, she knew that she wanted to be in the band, and she knew that she wanted to eventually become an educator. In the end, Parker applied to only one school: NCCU.

During the summer b efore her fresh man year, Turquoise met Donald Parker III, who would later become her hus band. As they toured the school with their freshman orientation group, they bonded over their goals and ambitions. Turquoise wanted to be a dancer in the band, while Donald wanted to be a drum major. They would both eventually reach these goals, but as then-band-di rector Jorim Reid notes, it would require Turquoise to make some sacrifices.

“Her first act, honestly, was when she came into the band at a time when I was doing everything I could to build the program,’ Reid said. “I was actual ly teaching musicians to play because we needed more brass players, and she

put off her dreams of being a dancer and a flag girl for a whole year so she could help the entire band to grow.” Reid also fondly re members how Turquoise cared for her class mates, often giving them comfort in their moments of need.

“It was just amazing to b e able to be a part of something that had a huge part in

representing the university,” Turquoise said of her experience in the Marching Sound Machine. During her time at NCCU, she served as the chaplain of the band and president of Tau Beta Sigma, a national band sorority.

After graduating, she came back to serve as a supervisor for the band.

“Being in the band help ed prepare me for my career as an educator because you understand how to operate and orchestrate multiple people with multiple personalities to achieve a com mon goal,” she said. She believes that the type of strategic planning that she learned in band has also helped with the success of the foodraiser.

“It’s like in band when you can’t make that infamous NCCU across the field with one per son. This work needs everybody,” she says.

Now, instead of collaborating to put together band routines, Turquoise and Donald often find themselves collaborating on how they will put together over 5,000 bags of food.

Donations have doubled every year since the foodraiser began, which Donald attributes largely to the fact that the initia tive is centered on faith. “”What we don’t have, we pray for and it’s provided,” he said. “And I think that’s primarily because it’s about helping people, and God cares about the poor and those in need, and he wanted to be able to provide for them.”

The foodraiser has expanded to 12 elementa ry schools, and Turquoise wants to continue to expand: first to middle schools, then to the rest of Durham County, then even further. In July, the National Education Association awarded her the 2022 Reg Weaver Human and Civil Rights Award, named for the union’s former president known for his advocacy for students living in poverty.

Doing this work is part of what Eagle Excel lence means to her. It’s about “leaving footprints on people’s hearts,” she said. ’

BY REBEKAH BARBER '16

The foodraiser has expanded to 12 elementary schools, and Turquoise wants to continue to expand: first to middle schools, then to the rest of Durham County, then even further.

From NCCU Eagles to MacArthur Foundation Fellows

When he was five, Barber’s family relocated to his father’s hometown of Roper, North Carolina, a small municipality in Washington County in the eastern part of the state. Barber’s parents worked with Roper civil rights leaders to desegregate public schools, and when he was 7, Barber integrated the second grade in Washington County Public Schools, later becoming the first African American class president of his high school.

In 1981, Barber enrolled at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Today he’s nationally and internationally known, often appears on CNN and other major networks and has been a speaker at the Democratic National Convention.

--------

IBRAHIM CISSÉ, PH.D. , was born in Niamey, Niger, a landlocked country in West Africa that’s named after the Niger River. According to published reports, Cissé, the youngest of five children, grew up under the assumption that he’d work in his father’s law firm. However, Cissé, loved science from a young age.

Word is the family converted a storage room into “Laboratoire Cissé,” and that’s where Cissé used appli ances and devices as guinea pigs for experiments. His high school didn’t have a lab, which prevented him from getting hands-on science experience, so after graduating a few years early, he moved to the United States and enrolled at NCCU after obtaining a degree from Durham Technical Community College.

THE REV. WILLIAM J. BARBER II, PH.D. , was born in Indianapolis on Aug. 30, 1963, two days after the March on Washington at which the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. Barber’s actual due date was Aug. 28 – a foreshadowing if ever there was one.

Makeshift labs would soon be a thing of the past for Cissé, who studies the physics of molecular mechanisms in living cells.

In 2015, then Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou visited Cissé’s biophysics lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), citing it as a model for Niger students. In September 2021, Cissé relocated his lab to Freiburg, a city in southwest Germany, where he’s director of the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics.

REV. WILLIAM J. BARBER II, PH.D.

TRESSIE M

c MILLAN COTTOM,

PH.D. , was born in Harlem, New York, spent her early childhood years in Winston-Salem and grew up in Charlotte. She’s never forgotten the enthusiasm over NCCU displayed by an admissions recruiter who stopped by her high school – or the impression it made on her.

At the time, McMillan Cottom was considering becoming a superior court judge and knew of the outstanding reputation enjoyed by NCCU’s School of Law. She got accepted to NCCU and Spelman Col lege, the only other institution to which she applied.

Thanks to a high GPA and good SAT score, McMillan Cottom received a full scholarship offer from NCCU. After graduating high school in 2005, she left the Queen City and headed north on Inter state 85 to become an Eagle.

Today she’s an accomplished, award-winning author, sociologist and professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Informa tion and Library Science. She’s also an affiliate of the Center for Information, Technology and Public Life at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Though they traveled different paths to 1801 Fayetteville Street, Barber, Cissé and McMillan Cottom all found a nurturing campus and quickly learned that excellence is the standard at NCCU, where history abounds and students are motivated to strive for exceptionalism.

They performed well academically, participated in extra-curricular activities and made a name for them selves at NCCU before obtaining their Ph.D. degrees.

And, in true testament to the type of student NCCU produces, since 2018 Barber, Cissé and Mc Millam Cottom have been named MacArthur Foun dation Fellows. Commonly referred to as the “Genius Grant,” the award is among the most prestigious bestowed in the U.S. and comes with a no-stringsattached $625,000 grant awarded over five years.

IBRAHIM CISSÉ, PH.D.

TRESSIE McMILLAN COTTOM, PH.D.

REV. WILLIAM J BARBER II, PH.D.

One of the MacArthur Fellow Program’s primary aims is to demonstrate that creativity appears and flourishes at many different types of institutions, in all re gions of the country, in all demographic groups, across a limitless range of fields and career stages,” said Senior Program Officer, Fellows Program, Laura Scholl.

These three graduates of North Carolina Central University, a storied HBCU, have distinguished themselves. Barber has made exceptional contributions to social justice advocacy and movement-building, McMillan Cottom has made exceptional contributions to sociology and cultural racism and Cissé has made exceptional contributions to biological physics.”

Scholl credited NCCU as the institution that gave Barber, Cissé and McMillan Cottom their foundation.

“It’s thrilling to note that their cre ative thinking, passion for learning and persistence in disparate areas of work were nurtured at the same institution during their undergraduate years,” Scholl said. “It’s equally thrilling to consider how their paths and pursuits might inspire the next generation of NCCU students and alumni.”

According to their website, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Founda tion “supports creative people, effective institutions and influential networks building a more just, verdant and peace ful world.”

The website also says the Foundation is “placing a few big bets that truly signifi cant progress is possible on some of the world’s most pressing social challenges, including advancing global climate solutions, decreasing nuclear risk, pro moting local justice reform in the U.S. and reducing corruption in Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria.”

Barber is doing his part to bring about a more just and peaceful world. He stepped down as president of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP in 2017 and now serves as president and senior lecturer at Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.

He’s well-known for organizing Moral Mondays at the NC state capital, but in June 18, he called on poor and low-wealth people, as well as scholars and voting rights lawyers, to hold a massive, generationally transformative event in Washington, D.C., that he billed as “the third reconstruction.”

“One of the reasons I feel so strongly about addressing the issues of racism and poverty and economic devastation is there are 87 million people in this coun try who don’t have insurance or who are underinsured,” Barber said. “We have to address these things, and we have to resist the lies of scarcity and the lies of ‘we don’t know how to do it’ and the lies of trickle-down economics. I learned at North Carolina Central University that

have to speak the truth.”

you

“One of the reasons I feel so strongly about addressing the issues of racism and poverty and economic devastation is there are 87 million people in this country who don’t have insurance or who are underinsured.”

Barber said NCCU more than adequate ly prepared him for a life of service, a life worthy of a Genius Grant.

“I learned to march for justice at NCCU,” Barber said. With 140 million people living in poverty, including over four million in North Carolina, if we ever needed this march, we need it now. I’m honored to have come through the halls and quarters of NCCU and to have been prepared at that institution for this moment.”

Cissé, too, has lauded NCCU, saying in published reports the institution was fundamental in his approach to teaching and mentorship.

“Having trained at a historically Black college was just an incredible way to see and think about race, not just in America but also in Africa,” he said in an article about the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science. “It gave me the knowledge and that empowerment that, no matter what adversity I was going to face, it is import ant to move forward in a way that will empower others and create opportuni ties for others.”

McMillan Cottom joins Cissé and Barber in praising their alma mater.

“I didn’t realize how much attending Central has shaped my understanding of what was considered the canon, you know, the default knowledge,” she said. “Every course I took at Central was infused with not just the core knowledge, but Black knowledge

IBRAHIM CISSE, PH.D.

production. I watched the film, Sankofa, in a math class. A history course not only covered western civilization but explained the foundation of the conflict in the Middle East.

“So, when people say my perspective on the world is very unique and sort of remarkable and counterintuitive, I kind of giggle to myself because what they’re saying is my training in the Black canon and the non-western canon has made me a deeper, better and more rigorous thinker,” McMillan Cottom continued. “And I agree. I think everybody should have that experience.”

The MacArthur Award hasn’t changed how she sees herself but changes how the world sees her, she said.

“ The extent to which other people can imagine the fullness of me matters to my ability to do the fullness of myself, to live my life the way I see fit,” McMillan Cottom said. “So, it has absolutely changed how people can imagine me, and that changes the kinds of opportunities I’m afforded, the kinds of things I can then do for other people.”

TRESSIE MCMILLAN COTTOM, PH.D.

“I didn’t realize how much attending Central has shaped my understanding of what was considered the canon, you know, the default knowledge.”

“Having trained at a historically Black college was just an incredible way to see and think about race, not just in America but also in Africa.”

à

NEWS I EVENTS I IN MEMORIAM

ALUMNI RELATIONS

Alumnae celebrate 100th birthdays

I ’70 I

Dothula Baron has written a book titled “Walking in Light, Living in Love,“ a 2022 publi cation. It is available through Amazon and Balboa Press.

I ’78 I

Bettina C. Shuford, Ph.D., associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was selected by Diverse mag azine as one of 25 innovative and dynamic women leaders who are paving the way for others in higher education.

I ’88 I

Angela Herring, director of Instructional Support Services, was recently appointed as the new director of the library at Wilson Community College.

I ’90 I

Former New Orleans Saints defensive back Robert Massey was named head football coach of Winston-Salem State University.

I ’90 I

The Brunswick County Courthouse was officially renamed in honor of the late Judge Ola M. Lewis, who was the longest serving female judge in the history of North Carolina. Lewis was appointed district county judge in 1993 and served until 2000 when she was appoint ed to a special superior court judgeship by N.C. Gov. Jim Hunt. Lewis served as senior resident superior court judge for Judicial District 13B since 2003. During her career, she was awarded the Old North State Award in 2010, the Dogwood Award in 2017 and the Order of the Longleaf Pine in 2018.

Alumna Vivian Patterson '51 celebrated her 100th on June 2, 2022, while Altice Godley Frazier ’43, turned 100 years young on Oct. 5.

Vivian Patterson

Altice Godley Frazier

(Left to right) Doris Lewis (mother of Judge Lewis), Reggie Holley (husband of Judge Lewis) and Chief Justice Paul Newby.

Alumni Make History During Elections

I ‘84, ’91 I

ELAINE O‘NEAL ELECTED AS FIRST BLACK FEMALE MAYOR OF DURHAM

Elaine O’Neal was elected mayor of Durham, N.C., in November 2021. A native of Durham, O’Neal graduated from Hillside High School and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and a Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University. She was the first woman in Durham County to be appointed Chief District Court Judge, and later was the first woman elected as Durham County Superior Court Judge. O’Neal later served her alma mater as interim dean of the NCCU School of Law.

I ’75 I

Glenn York was elected the first Black mayor of Zebulon, N.C. Glenn York is a North Carolina native who grew up in Zebulon and attended James E. S hepard High School and graduated in 1971 from Zebulon High School.

A 1975 graduate from North Carolina Central University, he received a bachelor’s degree in pre-physical therapy/physical education, and then went on to graduate from Wake Technical College in 1978 with a licensed practical nursing degree.

I ’09 I

LaRhonda Patrick elected as mayor of Warner Robins, Ga.

LaRhonda W. Patrick was elected as mayor of Warner Robins, Ga., during a November 2021 runoff election, where she clinched victory.

Mayor Patrick was sworn in as the first elected female mayor and African American mayor of Warner Robins.

Briefs

Evelyn Cooper, Ph.D., has been appointed as the assistant dean and chief of operations of the University of Maryland Graduate School.

I ’92 I

Ulysses Taylor was named dean of the Broadwell College of Business & Economics at Fayetteville State University.

I ’94 I

Former NFL receiver Moses Ware, who was North Carolina Central’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, was named Morgan State Universi ty Bears’ wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator.

I ’96 I

The North Carolina Community College Advising Board appointed Tenita Phi lyaw-Rogers as a board member. Philyaw-Rogers is a strategic partnerships manag er with WGU North Carolina, and serves as the school’s principal liaison to community colleges across the state.

I ’97, ’00 I

Warren Early College High School Principal Shena Judkins was named Warren County Schools’ 2021 Principal of the Year.

I ’97 I

Angelique Stallings was named vice president of Community Investment at the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce.

I ’99, ’02 I

Dorothy Hairston Mitchell was appointed as district court judge in District 14 serving Durham County, by N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper.

I ’09 I

Siobahn Grady was featured as one of 120 life-size 3D-printed statues of phenomenal women in STEM for Women's Futures Month at the Smithsonian.

I ’00 I

Monique Perry-Graves, Ph.D., Teach for America North Carolina’s executive director, was appointed to the biparti san Task Force Commission, by N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper, to develop a representative and inclusive vision for education.

I ’02, ’05 I

Cornell P. Wright, MPA, has joined Alliance for a Healthier Generation as its first chief health equity officer.

I ’03 I

Roland T. Lovelace Jr., was named as the assistant athlet ics director for sports medicine for Virginia State University.

I ’04 I

Norfolk Southern Corp. appointed Floyd Hudson as vice president of transportation.

Photo courtesy of IFTHEN® Collection, by Hannele Lahti.

I ’05 I

Jasmine Crowe, a 2014 Forty Under Forty honoree, received an award during a telecast of the Stellar Music of Hope Awards Easter special for her work with Goodr. Jasmine founded Goodr in 2017 after years of feeding people expe riencing hunger on the streets of Atlanta.

I ’06 I

Dena J. King was sworn in as United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

I ’08 I

Levy Brown, Ph.D., was named senior vice president/ chief academic officer by the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges.

I ’08 I

Fayetteville State University named Austin R. Chalmers as director of bands and lecturer in the Department of Perform ing and Fine Arts. Chalmers will direct the Marching Bronco Xpress and conduct the FSU Symphonic Winds, Wind Sym phony and University Pep Band.

I ’13, ’16 I

Jordan Reid made his SportsCenter debut as commentator of 2022 NFL Draft prospects.

I ’14 I

A Hall of Fame player and MEAC Player of the Year, former NCCU star Jeremy Ingram was hired as boys’ basketball coach at Seventy-First High School in Fayetteville.

BETHMONT COUTURE

I ’04 I

Faith Bynum Patterson, a 2020 cohort of NCCU Forty Under Forty, along with her husband Jamie Patterson ‘00, ‘02, launched a new clothing line, Bethmont Couture–a luxury online boutique with an upscale shopping experience made for the confident woman.

JASMINE CROWE

AUSTIN R. CHALMERS

DENA J. KING

JORDAN REID

NCCU ALUMNI

I ’14 I

William Moultrie, was named associate vice chancellor for student success at Western Carolina University.

I ’15 I

Jalen Reginald Baker was named as university events office manager at North Carolina Central University.

I ’16 I

William Hill was named 2022 Durham Public Schools Teacher of the Year. He is licensed by Duke University as an academically/intellec tually gifted teacher; and, he has earned the Teacher Advocacy in Gifted Education Award from Duke Universi ty’s Program in Education for teachers.

I ’18 I

Alica S. Mills, accepted a new position as assistant director of career development at Elon University School of Law.

I ’19 I

Dara Aminah McDougal was named North Carolina's first African American genetic counselor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Cancer Center.

CLYDE “THE GLIDE” SINCLAIR '82

After graduating from NCCU in 1982, Clyde “The Glide” Sinclair college career got him drafted by the Washington Bullets, but he did not make the final cut.

After playing abroad, Sinclair was eventually signed by the Washington Generals and played during the 1987-88 season. He was part of the Generals when they played the Globetrotters in West Berlin. After the 1988 season, Sinclair made the jump to the Harlem Globetrotters and went on to play for the team for 17 years.

In July 2022, the town of Clayton, N.C. renamed All-Star Park in honor of their hometown hero Donald “Clyde” Sinclair.

I ’17 I

Cordara Harper was recent ly named the new assistant professor of music education/ choir director at Grambling State University in Louisiana.

I ’19 I

Chris Laws successfully defended his Ph.D. disserta tion at North Carolina State University. He was named the executive director of Preservation Durham, a historic preservation organization.

CLYDE “THE GLIDE” SINCLAIRE

Harlem Globetrotter

HILL

BAKER

MOULTRIE

On the fast track

As a young woman about to enter college, MONIQUE STEWART ‘90 knew she wanted to attend North Carolina Central University.

There was only one obstacle: NCCU, a liberal arts college, did not have an engineering major.

Nancy Rowland — the director of undergraduate admissions at the time, who was affectionately known as “Mama Eagle” — proposed a solution. Stewart could do a dual degree program: majoring in math at NCCU, then transferring to an engineering program.

Stewart said that the faculty members at NCCU “made you want to succeed because it just felt like they were part of your family.”

After leaving NCCU, Stewart graduated from Georgia Tech with bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and mechanical engineering.

She de cided to begin her career at a freight railroad company: CSX Transportation. While there, she learned about the railroading industry and participated in a management training program, which allowed Stewart to diversify her knowledge by exposing her to the different business areas of transportation within the company.

After two years with CSX Transportation, Stewart was hired at the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), becom

ing the first Black woman engineer at the agency.

Stewart was recently recognized by Railway Age magazine as one of 2021’s “Women in Rail” honorees, a program that recognizes leaders who have made significant contributions to the railroad industry in he United States and Mexico. Her profile represented the first time a Black woman had been featured on the cover of the magazine since it began publication in 1856.

Stewart’s ac complishments have given her an increased urgency to uplift others in her industry. She notes that when she started at the FRA she was the only Black woman engineer and 26 years later, there is now only ’

BY REBEKAH BARBER '16

While we know the work has just begun in making America a better and more equitable country, as NCCU graduates, you will supply the world with innovation, ideas and solutions that will further improve our society for the next generation.”

— Monique Stewart ’90

alumni Gallery

SHARE YOUR MILESTONE Share photos of your milestones such as weddings, births, legacy announcements, reunions with classmates or memories from your days on campus for potential publication online, on social media and/or in our magazine. Photos must be digital and 300 dpi or higher and can be submitted by emailing to now@nccu.edu

Alumna Harmony Cross, ’13, dean of Student Success at Oberlin College and Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio, served as guest speak er at the 73rd Annual Honors Convocation held on April 8, 2022.

The Atlanta Alumni Chapter of the National Alumni Association Inc., hosted a house divided NCCU vs. Morgan State University watch party held Oct. 2022.

Alumna Kristi Williamson pinned her daughter and new Eagle during the NCCU pinning ceremony held August 2022.

Kourtney Daniel-Robinson '02 had the honor of pinning a fellow NCCU eagle, Tontionna Summayya, who received her wings as a flight attendant with United Airlines.

THE DURHAM MOB

BY WALTER E. SMITH

 It’s a Black “Wolf of Wall Street” as six smart, talented, and eager college students from Durham, N.C. set out to find their future in the Big Apple. It’s the Sixties: JFK’s assassination has affected the social fiber and spirit of the Nation. Despite this, The Civil Rights Movement is going strong and Hope continues to spring up in the lives of the young throughout the country.

At the heart of the story are brothers William and Coy. They’ve been brought up with the courteousness that’s unique in Southern Black folks, gentlemen to the teeth. But once they arrive in New York City, their lives change forever. American Counter culture is at its peak… Disco, drugs, parties, and free love are in style… And with their education and good looks, the Durham Mob (as they became to be known) are quick to join the scene.

THE MANY LIVES OF ANDREW YOUNG

BY ERNIE SUGGS '90



Ernie Suggs, a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, has been covering Andrew Young since 1997, and in celebration of Young's 90th birthday, Suggs wanted to honor the former Atlanta mayor, congressman and ambassa dor through the eyes of Young.

With p ersonal accounts from Andrew,, “The Many Lives of Andrew Young” features hundreds of full-color photographs that is a tribute to the life of a man whose activism and service continues to reverberate around the world today.

REACH HIGHER LIFE & LOVE

BY KESHA T. REED, ED.D., '03



Kesha T. Reed, Ed.D. shares her very trans parent journey: from feeling depressed after an extremely difficult divorce, dealing with suicidal thoughts during her darkest times, feeling alone and defeated to becoming an extremely confident woman of faith.

Reed reveals her mistakes and trials that allowed her to become more confident as her faith grew through her many challenges. Kesha dealt with consistent failure in love before deciding to be intentional about her healing. In this special edition: Reed provides a bonus Chapter where she reveals her transfor mational weight loss journey that far exceeds the physical. Learn how to drop deadweight as you reach higher.

alumni cultural Arts

A

WINNER IN SPITE OF...

BY EVELYN SMITH BOOKER ’73

 This book gives readers a glimpse into the thoughts of a strong Black woman whose humble but auspicious beginning in life was a foreword to her journey to corpo rate career success in the television advertising industry.

From those humble beginnings in a small eastern N.C. town to a seat at the table of a #1 television station is not a trip for the faint-hearted, but Evelyn Smith Booker made the journey. On the way, she integrated her local high school, was the unofficial valedictorian of her graduation class, set record after record, breaking the glass ceiling as a television ex ecutive in ad sales, and mentored many fine people on her way who have climbed their own ladders.

NCCU Alumnus and P-Valley Series Star J. Alphonse Nicholson kicked off the 2022 NCCU Rock the Lyceum series

 The Greensboro, N.C., native J. Alphonse Nicholson prominently known for his role as Lil Murda on the Starz series “P-Valley.” was the guest speaker of the Rock the Lyceum series, held August 2022.

NEW MURAL HONORS TRAILBLAZING CIVIC LEADERS PAINTED BY ARTIST, KIARA SANDERS

’17

 Painted by alumnus Kiara Sanders, a new mural honoring Black civic leaders from Chapel Hill and Carrboro, N.C., was unveiled September 2021. The mural celebrates twelve civic leaders that helped to shape and improve the Chapel-Hill and Carrboro communities.

CULTURAL ARTS SPOTLIGHT RASHAUN RUCKER: ARTIST I PHOTOGRAPHER

UPCOMING EXHIBIT

 RELIEF FROM THE HEAT

NOVEMBER 5, 2022 – MARCH 25, 2023

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DETROIT

Relief From the Heat present artist Rashaun Rucker’s ruminations on intergenerational identity and kinship sustained within the Black Church. Born and raised in the American South, Rucker reminisces on the church as a space for communal gathering, familial intimacy, and identity development. Reflecting on his journey as a creative, Rucker expands the medium of documenta ry photography and drawing to present an installation of brand new multi-medium works.

RECENT EXHIBIT

 NEVER FREE TO REST

SEPTEMBER 24-OCT 29, 2022 CHARLIE JAMES GALLERY, LOS ANGELES, CA.

Rashaun Rucker's solo show titled “Never Free To Rest” was exhibited at the Charlie James Gallery, Septem ber 2022. The artwork originated at the University of Michigan Institute of the Humanities in 2021, it then traveled to the Art League of Houston, and now has reached its final stop in Los Angeles with the Charlie James Gallery.

RUCKER'S ARTWORK DISPLAYED IN NEFLIX MOVIE

 Rashaun Rucker's relief print of his dad and uncle titled “After The Repass” was displayed in Kevin Hart’s Netflix movie “Me Time,” released in August 2022.

Detroit-based artist Rashaun Rucker '02 has won more than 40 national and state awards for his photography, prints and drawings. In 2008, Rucker became the first African American to be named Michigan Press Photographer of the Year. In 2008, Rucker won a national Emmy Award for documentary photography on the pit bull culture in Detroit. Rucker’s diverse work is held in the National Museum of African American History and Culture and numerous private and public collections. SHARE

NCCU

Dear Alumni, My name is Tomeika Bowden ’00 and I am excited to serve as the president of the NCCU Alumni Association for the next two years. I stand on the shoulders of a line of very dedicated alumni presidents that live the Eagle Promise. I’m excited to work beside vice president Kian Brown ’06, secretary Leslie Pittman-Thomas ’98, treasurer, Janelle Terry ’00 & '04, the four regional vice presidents, and all the chapter leaders, each of whom bring distinct gifts to our organization.

2022 ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS

THOMAS ‘82,

Christian J. Jackson-Allen

Cameron Elyse Blount

Christian Manning

Dylan Jones Jackson

Gabrielle Nicole Adams

Genevieve

Kayla

Maria Kennedy Lightfoot

Roshawnda

Terrence Orion Crawford

Tyler Yamani Cox

CHAPTERS SERVING THE COMMUNITY

NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION INC.

Raleigh-Wake Alumni Chapter

Charlotte Alumni Chapter

Durham Alumni Chapter

Charlotte Alumni Chapter

Raleigh-Wake Alumni Chapter Durham Alumni Chapter

Atlanta Alumni Chapter

’44 I Orlando “Papa Doc” Stovall Jr., 99, Goldsboro, N.C., Sept. 9, 2021

’46 I Margaret Alexander, 97, Charlotte, N.C., Jan. 3, 2022

’46 I Gwendolyn R. Atkinson, 95, Mint Hill, N.C., March 14, 2022

’49 I Welmon “June” Britt, Jr., 94, Bowling Green, Ky., Aug. 18, 2021

’53 I William “Billy” G. Coward, 89, Hyattsville, Md., Sept. 12, 2021

’53 I William “Bill” Alfred Lewis, 90, Ypsilanti, Mich., Feb. 24, 2022

’53 I Cecelia Broadnax Williamson, Washington, D.C., Oct. 11, 2021

’54 I Patsy Brewington Perry, 88, Chesapeake, Va., Nov. 11, 2021

’55 I Alice Gwendolyn (Page) Battle, 88, Chapel Hill, N.C., Sept. 26, 2021

WALTER MATTHEW BROWN, PH.D.

’55 | Walter Matthew Brown, Ph.D., '48, '55, passed away on Feb. 12, 2022, at the age of 94. Brown graduated from formerly named North Carolina College at Durham in 1948 with bachelor’s degrees in biology, sociology and education. As a student, he joined the Gamma Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. He received his master’s degree from New York University in 1950.

In 1950, Brown began his career in higher education as an instructor at Bennett Col lege in Greensboro, and career guidance counselor for selected high schools in N.C. He returned to N.C.C. at Durham in 1952 to enroll in the college’s newly created doctoral program under the guidance of Rose Butler Browne, Ph.D., who served as the third chair of the institution’s Department of Education. In 1955, Brown became the first of five stu dents at the university to receive a Ph.D. degree in educational guidance in psychology. He also was the first student to graduate with a Ph. D. degree from any historically Black college or university in the U.S. He completed his post-doctoral studies at Boston Univer sity on a Danforth Foundation scholarship.

He joine d the faculty of N.C.C. at Durham as an associate professor of education from 1955 to 1965. In his role, he established and served as director of the university's first Career Placement Bureau; chairman of the Committee on Undergraduate Recruitment; and director of Student Teaching all with distinction and a great level of service.

In 1980, after employment in the private sector, Brown returned to his alma mater as professor of education and later served as the first dean of the School of Education from 1989 until 1992. Brown was awarded professor emeritus status for his years of service as a distinguished leader and was feted at an awards program in appreciation of his ser vice and tenure in the School of Education. He also held the distinction of serving as the first University Marshal from 1986 to 1992.

Brown's life, which he narrated in vivid detail, is chronicled in his highly-praised 2010 memoir, “I Walked the Sloping Hills.”

Brown was a member of the Beta Theta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha and the Alpha Tau Boule' of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity Inc.

His wife Ozie, who was also an NCCU alumna and career staff member at the uni versity, preceded him in death in 2008. Brown is survived by three daughters Judith, Jacqueline and Jennifer Brown.

PERRY ‘54

Memoriam listing for Fiscal Year 2022 (July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022)

’55 I Clyde Richardson, 86, Silver Spring, Md., Nov. 6, 2021

’55

I Gertrude H. “Trudy” H. Trower, 88, Hyattsville, Md., Feb. 13, 2022

’56 I Edna Becton-Pittmon, Lanham, Md., Dec. 28, 2021

’57 I Shirley J. Holliday, 86, Creedmoor, N.C., Feb. 18, 2022

’57

I Herman Lewis, 92, Washington, DC, Oct. 3, 2021

’58 I Helen Chavis Othow, 89, Oxford, N.C., Jan. 1, 2022

’58 I Virginia Downing “Gin” Spruill, 87, Rich Square, N.C., Feb. 28, 2022

’59 I Danetta Juanita Fitts, 84, Winston-Salem, N.C., April 27, 2022

’60 I Guion "Coach" Davis, Jr., 92, Rocky Mount, N.C., July 3, 2021

’60 I Aleyah M. Muhammad (formerly Barbara A. McKenzie Gore), 83, Southport, N.C., April 11, 2022

’61 I Dorothy S. Gose, 82, Durham, N.C., March 18, 2022

’62 I Lucy Maud Edwards Branch, 102, Warren County, N.C., Dec. 3, 2021

’62 I Crosby Inman, 86, Chapel Hill, N.C., Feb. 14, 2022

’62 I Richard Connell Wilkins, 86, Rutherfordton, N.C., Aug. 18, 2021

SAM JONES

’57 | NBA Hall of Famer Sam Jones, ’57, passed away Dec. 30, 2021. Jones is heralded as one of the greatest NBA players of all time.

Jones, who played at NCCU from 1951-54 and 195657, remains NCCU’s second-leading career scorer with 1,745 points in four seasons under head coaches John McLendon and Floyd Brown. He scored 668 field goals and 409 free throws, averaging 17.8 points per contest in 98 career collegiate games.

Born on June 24, 1933, in Wilmington, N.C., and a high school graduate of Laurinburg (N.C.) Institute, Jones was chosen by the Boston Celtics with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 1957 NBA Draft after graduating from NCCU that same year.

His 12-year career with the Celtics included 10 NBA Championships, five All-Star Game appearances and three selections to the All-NBA Second Team. Nicknamed “Mr. Clutch,” Jones amassed 15,411 points, an average of 17.7 points per game, 4,305 rebounds and 2,209 assists in 871 contests.

Jones was inducte d into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the NCCU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984, as well as the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1969, the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1962, and the CIAA Hall of Fame in 1981. He was selected to the NBA 25th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1970, and was later named among the top 50 players in NBA history as a member of the 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996, and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in October 2021.

In March 2015, prior to the unveiling of Jones’s jersey hanging from the rafters of McDougald-McLendon Arena, then North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory presented Jones with The Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, among the most prestigious awards conferred by the governor.

’63 I Gurtha Gilchrist Jr., 82, Rocky Mount, N.C., March 19, 2022

’63 I Carolyn Ferguson Mills, 77, Winston-Salem, N.C., Oct. 20, 2021

’64 I Courtney Scott Ferguson, Durham, N.C., Jan. 11, 2022

’64 I Patricia Ann Vinson Hill, 79, Durham, N.C., Sept. 29, 2021

’65 I Lenon L. Gripper, 81, Lancaster, Calif., Feb. 28, 2022

’65 I Lloyd A. Sawyer, 78, Rockingham, N.C., Feb. 6, 2022

’66 I LeRoy “Cush” Walker, Jr., 80, Durham, N.C., Jan. 8, 2021

’67 I Paul Edward Bennett, 75, Raleigh, N.C., Sept. 2, 2021

’69 I Mary F. Hilliard Howie, 74, Henrico, Va., Feb. 22, 2022

’69 I Bynetta M. Wiggins,73, Richmond, Va., July 1, 2021

’70 I Larma Jean Whelchel, 83, Sparta, Ga., May 31, 2022

’71, ’74 I Ronald Draper, 71, Chicago, Oct. 11, 2021

’71 I Frank D. Hazel, 83, Beaufort, N.C., Sept. 11, 2021

’71 I Matthew Needham Sherrod Jr., 73, Selma, N.C., Feb. 26, 2022

’72 I Etrula Fonda Marsh Erwin, 70, Wadesboro, N.C., Dec. 8, 2021

’72 I Val Jean McLean, 71, Durham, N.C., Feb. 19, 2022

’72 I Leroy Morris, Jr., 71, Durham, N.C., Aug. 5, 2021

’72 I Moses Wilson Ellued Wilson, Jr., 77, Little Rock, Ark., Sept. 28, 2021

’73 I Ronald Hilliard Gantt, 70, Greensboro, N.C., April 14, 2022

’73 I Sandra Robinson, Wilmington, N.C., June 9, 2022

’73 I Lamont Upperman, 71, Greensboro, N.C., May 27, 2022

’73 I Angelon Sediria McCaskill Watson, 71, Winston-Salem, N.C., March 5, 2022

’74 I Johnnie G. Hardy, 71, Greenville, N.C., March 27, 2022

’74 I Dale Austin Scott, 67, Danville, Va., Nov. 30, 2021

’75 I Sylvia Nicholas Conrad, 68, Winston-Salem, N.C., Nov. 8, 2021

’75 I Arnold Euriel George, 69, Durham, N.C., May 18, 2022

’75 I Janice Townsend, 68, Mebane, N.C., Dec. 5, 2021

’76 I Ophelia Garmon-Brown, 67, Harrisburg, N.C., Nov. 17, 2021

’76 I Lillian Margretta “Gret” Lowery, 67, Yardley, Pa., April 13, 2022

’76 | Carolyn Fayette Mitchell, 66, Chesterfield, Va., Nov. 2, 2021

’76 I Artelia Belle Marsh Perry, 99, Durham, N.C., Sept. 20, 2021

’76 I Barron “Scotty” Scott, 67, Durham, N.C., March 13, 2022

WILLIAM P. EVANS

’76 I Maxine Joyner Thomas, 67, Ahoskie, N.C., Jan. 17, 2022

’77 I Leroy Way Jr., 67, Cove City, N.C., Feb. 11, 2022

’78 I Willie Isiah Patterson, 87, Durham, N.C., June 6, 2022

’79 I Helen B. Thomas, Roxboro, N.C., Sept. 29, 2021

’80 I Jackie Jeffries, 68, Burlington, N.C., Feb. 5, 2022

’80 I Robert Wayne Long, 73, Shallotte, N.C., July 13, 2021

’80 I Kaye Davis Mangum, 67, Badin, N.C., Oct. 5, 2021

’80 I Frankie Delores Turner, 63, Person County, N.C., Jan. 31, 2022

’83 I Rosetta Breeze, 78, Hillsborough, N.C., Sept. 21, 2021

’59 | William “Bill” Paul Evans, a former director of alumni affairs and community relations at NCCU, passed away Dec. 29. 2021. Evans was born Dec. 9, 1938, in Goldsboro, N.C., and grad uated from North Carolina College (N.C.C.) at Durham, NC in 1962. After graduation, Evans taught in Virginia and Philadephia, then returned to be the NCCU Director of Alumni Affairs.

Evans went on to serve as the assistant to the chancellor and then as director of university alumni relations until his retirement in 1997.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 48 years, Beverly Ann Smith Evans, whom he met at N.C.C. in the university choir.

GARMON-BROWN '76

ANDR É LEON TALLEY

’70 | Distinguished alumnus André Leon Talley, had a profound impact and expan sive influence on the fashion and journalism industries.

Rais ed from an early age by his grand mother, Bennie Frances Davis, a domestic worker in Durham, Talley sought out fash ion literature such as Vogue magazine and couture memoirs to quench his fashion ap petite. He would often walk through Duke University’s campus to a newsstand where he could pick up the latest edition of Vogue and escape into the fashion world.

At Hillside High Scho ol, Talley took French classes and developed a fondness for the language – and for Paris. He also discov ered an interest in performing arts. Talley would later study French at North Caroli na Central University, and with thoughts of a career as a scholar of French literature, Talley left Durham after earning his degree in 1970 to begin graduate studies at Brown University. From there, he transitioned to nearby New York City, where he began building a foundation for a career in the fashion industry.

Talley wrote for Andy Warhol’s Inter view magazine, Women’s Wear Daily and The New York Times before going to work at Vogue in 1983 as fashion news director and becoming the magazine’s first African American creative director in 1988. He was later named the premier fashion magazine’s editor at large in 1995.

After leaving Vogue in 2013, he host ed a satellite radio show and joined the Board of Trustees at Savannah College of Art and Design. He also had a brief stint as editor-at-large with Numéro Russia before leaving in 2014 after learning about Russia’s numerous anti-LGBT laws.

In 2018, he released “The Gospel Accord ing to André, a documentary film based on his life story.

Adding to his many accolades, the French Republic awarded him the Chevalier de l'or dre des Arts et des Lettres honor for arts and letters in 2020. The following year, he received the North Carolina Governor’s award for his role in literature. Talley passed away on Jan. 18, 2022.

’87 I Delia Retic Robinson, 83, Durham, N.C., Nov. 5, 2021

’89 I Warachal E. Faison, 54, Jersey City, N.J., March 19, 2022

’89 I Kevin Fauntleroy, 55, Philadelphia,, Sept. 24, 2021

’90 I Joseph Charles "JC" "Joe" Brent Jr., 57, Raleigh, N.C., Dec. 22, 2021

’90 I Norvella K. Lloyd, Williamston, N.C., Jan. 3, 2022

’91 I Alvis Tracey Jeffers, 52, Greensboro, N.C., Oct. 16, 2021

’92 I Chanthini Pipkins Cruise, 51, Winston-Salem, N.C., Nov. 18, 2021

’96 I Sofronja M. Ford, Bowie, Md., October 2021

01 I Courtland Parker, Durham, N.C., Dec. 3, 2021

’03 I LaMar “JaMond” Fullwood, 41, Raleigh, N.C., May 30, 2022

’10, ’18 I Vincent Gibbs, Jr., 34, Charlotte, N.C., Jan. 4, 2022

’11 I Clarissa Halks, 43, Durham, N.C., Aug. 27, 2021

alumni in Memoriam

ARNOLD GEORGE

’75 | Arnold George, an assistant professor in the NCCU Department of Music passed away May 18, 2022.

G eorge joined NCCU in 1991 as an instructor and served the university and music department for 31 years, where he played an instrumental role in building the Jazz Studies Program alongside the university’s former music department chair Dr. Ira Wiggins. In 1992, he was appointed to im plement and direct the Vocal Jazz Ensemble. The group won multiple awards in Downbeat maga zine and open for five consecutive performances during the Grand Opening Week for the newly renovated Durham Carolina Theater. Under his leadership, the Vocal Jazz Ensemble also secured two major performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 1996 and in Paris, in 1999. They also performed at the White House in 1997.

A proud Eagle, George earned his bachelor’s degree in music education. As an NCCU student, he blossomed into a great musician with the alto saxophone as his main instrument. He also served as drum major for the university’s Sound Machine, performed with numerous local dance bands and held pianist and choir director positions at various community churches.

BRIAN HORTON

’12 I Jasmin Lornae Brooks, 32, Norfolk, Va., May 25, 2022

’17 I Kierron Drewery, 29, Middlesex, N.C., Aug. 19, 2021

’18 | Marcel Gerod Burns Jr., 26, Riegelwood, N.C., Dec. 3, 2021

’22 I Dominique McKeithan, Sanford, N.C., April 10, 2022 (sophomore student)

NCCU NOTABLE

Brian Horton, Ph.D. ’97, assistant professor in the Department of Music, and director of NCCU’s Jazz Studies program and the NCCU Jazz Ensemble, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022.

Dr. Horton was an accomplished composer and saxophonist who brought more than two decades of professional perfor mance experience to his teaching of jazz arranging and saxo phone. Most recently, Dr. Horton led the NCCU Jazz Ensemble to a top-three finish at the 2022 Jack Rudin Jazz Championship at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. The recipient of the 2019 North Carolina Arts Council Fellowship for music com position, Dr. Horton collaborated with the who’s who of music industry giants.

Browne C. Lewis, dean of the NCCU School of Law, passed away on June 2, 2022. Born in Natchez, La., Lewis was an accomplished legal scholar, attorney and author.

Lewis joined the Eagle family on July 1, 2020, and immediately made an indelible impact on the School of Law.

She b egan laser focused on reaccreditation with the American Bar Association (ABA), which was approved in full compliance with the ABA Standards in November 2020. Equally import ant, enrollment has consistently increased year-over-year at a time when other law schools saw steady decreases. Additionally, Bar passage rates have been above average.

Under her leadership, the Scho ol of Law received a number of gifts from corporations and foundations, and students have been awarded prestigious law internships and fellowships. This includes a transformational $5 million contribution from Intel Corp. that created the NCCU-Intel Tech Law and Policy Center —the first at an HBCU and the only tech and law policy center that focuses on technology disparities and social justice.

HORTON

BROWN C. LEWIS DEAN, NCCU SCHOOL OF LAW

5-9 p.m.

GOSPEL SHOW featuring Kierra Sheard and Tasha Cobs Leonard McDougald-McLendon Arena

7-9 p.m.

MISS & MISTER NCCU ROYAL CORONATION NCCU Student Center

10:40 a.m.

10:40 BREAK: HOMECOMING TAKEOVER EDITION Library (Greek) Bowl

2-4:30 p.m.

THE CHANCELLOR'S FACULTY/ STAFF APPRECIATION GALA NCCU Student Center (rescheduled)

6-8 p.m

THE ULTIMATE TALENT SHOW McDougald-McLendon Arena

7 a.m. National Alumni Association Inc. CYCLING: EAGLE RIDE Durham American Tobacco Trail 4-8 p.m.

DRIP OR DROWN, THE ULTIMATE CHICKEN WEDNESDAY W. G. Pearson Cafeteria

4-8 p.m. National Alumni Association Inc. GOLF MIXER & DONOR RECOGNITION

Unscripted Durham, Roof Top

6-8 p.m.

THE ULTIMATE HOMECOMING DRAG SHOW NCCU Student Center

9 p.m.-1 a.m.

THE ULTIMATE GYM JAM McDougald-McLendon Arena

Young Nudy

8 a.m. / Shotgun Start

National Alumni Association Inc. ROGER R. GREGORY SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISING GOLF TOURNAMENT Hillandale Golf Course

10 a.m.-6 p.m.

REUNION PACKAGE

TICKET PICK-UP Sheraton Imperial Hotel

10:30 a.m.-Noon

ULTIMATE HOMECOMING OLD SCHOOL STROLL-OFF Library (Greek Bowl)

5-6 p.m.

CORPORATE AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS RECEPTION NCCU Student Center 4-6 p.m. Hosted by Career and Professional Center EAGLE PRIDE AMPLIFIED NETWORKING RECEPTION (by invitation) Alfonso Elder Student Union Lobby A & B

5-9 p.m. National Alumni Association Inc. HAPPY HOUR: WELCOME HOME EAGLES 21c Museum Hotel 7 p.m.

ALL-CLASS REUNION DINNER AND PRESENTATION OF GIFTS Sheraton Imperial Hotel

8 - 11:30 p.m.

THE ULTIMATE HIP-HOP AND R&B CONCERT featuring Stunna 4 Vegas, Travis Porter and Young Nudy McDougald-McLendon Arena

6:30 a.m.

GOLDEN CLASS OF 1972 BREAKFAST Sheraton Imperial Hotel 8 a.m.

GOLDEN CLASS PHOTOS (Golden Class), steps of Taylor Education Building 9 a.m.

NCCU 75TH FOUNDER'S DAY CONVOCATION McDougald-McLendon Arena

10 a.m.-6 p.m.

REUNION PACKAGE

TICKET PICK-UP Sheraton Imperial Hotel

11:30 a.m.

SILVER CLASS OF 1997 PINNING CEREMONY AND BRUNCH W.G. Pearson Banquet Hall

11:30 a.m.

SOCIETY OF GOLDEN EAGLES LUNCHEON NCCU Student Center

Noon

REUNION CLASS PHOTOS Taylor Education Building Steps

Noon-3 p.m.

DIVINE NINE GREEK ALUMNI PICNIC Library (Greek) Bowl

Noon

DTLR HBCU CULTURE TOUR

Chidley Residence Hall Lawn

SAT NOV 4 FRI NOV

3-6 P.M.

National Alumni Association Inc. MEET & GREET

Sheraton Imperial Hotel

3-9 p.m.

National Alumni Association Inc. EAGLE DAY PARTY 21c Museum Hotel

6-8 p.m.

CHANCELLOR’S CIRCLE DONOR RECEPTION (by invitation)

Sheraton Imperial Hotel

7-10 p.m.

THE ULTIMATE HOMECOMING STEP SHOW

McDougald-McLendon Arena

8 p.m.

ALUMNI CONCERT FEATURING LEDISI AND SPECIAL GUEST MARCUS ANDERSON Sheraton Imperial Hotel

9 a.m.

THE ULTIMATE HOMECOMING PARADE Fayetteville Street

10 a.m.-8 p.m.

EAGLE FEST VENDOR VILLAGE George St. & Lawson St. locations

Noon ALUMNI TAILGATE (Pre-purchased ticket required) NCCU Track and Practice Field

CHANCELLOR’S DONOR TAILGATE (by invitation only) NCCU Track and Practice Field

2 p.m. HOMECOMING GAME NCCU VS. HOWARD UNIVERSITY O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium

5-9 p.m. STUDENT/ALUMNI SOCIAL NCCU Library (Greek) Bowl

7 p.m.

National Alumni Association Inc. ULTIMATE HOMECOMING SOIREE Three different events in one location — band, DJ, and reunion lounge Sheraton Imperial Hotel

A ticket is required for most events. To view a full listing of university events, visit www.nccu.edu/homecoming .

11a.m.-2 p.m. National Alumni Association Inc.

BRUNCH FEATURING NCCU JAZZ ENSEMBLE Sheraton Imperial Hotel

BEST OF THE NEST

GOLDEN EAGLES CLASS OF 1971

SILVER EAGLE CLASS OF 1996

THE LATE MR. THURMOND PRESCOTT SERVED AS PARADE MARSHALL

GOLDEN EAGLES CLASS OF 1970

s a child, Siobahn Day Grady, Ph.D., spent ample time with her father playing video games and watching movies and sports.

“I was a huge tomboy growing up,” says Grady, an assistant professor of information sciences at NCCU). “We went fishing and did anything you can think of.”

Grady earned her master’s degree in information science from NCCU in 2009. Her father earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from NCCU in 1985. They are the first father-daughter duo to endow a scholarship at NCCU— the Pinnix-Brown Endowed Scholar ship, which was created in memory of Champion “Champ” Hudson Pinnix and Chestina Brown Pinnix, Grady’s paternal grandparents.

“As we’re both graduates of this insti tution, and I’m a member of the faculty, it’s important that the students know someone who invests in the university, not only as a faculty member, but with giving back as well,” Grady said.

Day attributes the scholarship to his mother, who always stressed education.

“After I got my bachelor’s degree, she always said that wasn’t enough. ‘What about your child? And what about the children you don’t even know?’” he explained.

Grady and Day established the scholarship in fall 2021 to preserve their family legacy and to give back to NCCU, an institution that has given so much to them.

“I want this scholarship to be something people can relate to,” Grady explained. “We’re a daughter and father who attended the university and have

a lot of love for the institution and for each other. This was our opportunity to give back to the university and hopefully impact STEM students to come.”

The scholarship is open to undergrad uate students majoring in a STEM field and graduate students who plan to earn a master’s degree in the School of Library and Information Sciences.

“B ecause those departments helped my father and me see the best in our selves and finish our programs, we want to give back to them and also add the other STEM fields such as science, tech nology and engineering,” Grady said.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Grady knew the importance of education at an early age. Her father graduated from NCCU; her mother, Mary Day, graduated from Durham Technical Com munity College with a degree in library science; and her paternal grandmother, though a single mother of six, attended Watts School of Nursing in Durham and became a licensed practical nurse.

“Growing up, I had two people who were in the technology field, and we had all of the devices in our home,” she said. “That might not seem like a lot, but this was in the 1980s when technology wasn’t really affordable. I was very fortunate to have all of that technology in my home, and I thank God for that.”

Grady followed in her father’s HBCU footsteps, attending Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), where she earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science, before going to NCCU and, later, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T), where she

became the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in computer science. She is included in the Smithsonian Institution’s #IfThenSh eCan exhibit, a collection of 120 life-sized, 3D-printed statues of women in STEM.

She established the Dr. Siobahn C. Day Endowed Scholarship at WSSU in honor of her parents, to support economically disadvantaged students who aspire to work in computing.

She always knew she’d establish an endowed scholarship at NCCU, and after her father learned about it, he wanted to partner with her. When Day was an NCCU student, Dr. William Fletcher, chair of the mathematics and physics department, made a lasting impression on him.

“He t ook a lot of time with us students and explained that nothing was beyond our reach,” Day recalled. “He always preached excellence without excuses. Having people actually invest in you, spend time with you and encourage you while you’re matriculating at the univer sity really sticks with you, so this is our way of hopefully taking the burden of finances off the table for some students.”

Former NCCU Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement Gia Soublet, Ph.D., said Grady and Day have set an excellent precedent.

“For a father and daughter to make this gift is remarkable and speaks volumes about our alumni and their NCCU experience,” Soublet said. “I’m grateful to Professor Grady and her father for remembering NCCU in this meaningful way.”

Having a lasting impact is significant to Day and Grady.

“I’m a professor because giving back is important to me,” Grady said. “Once you arrive at your destination, it’s great to turn around and help somebody the way somebody helped you. This endowment is for perpetuity, and it’s a great way to honor our ancestors and is something our family and descendants can be proud of in years to come.”

’BY L.D. WILLIS

Lowe’s Invests $1.5 Million in NCCU for School of Business

NCCU announced a gift of $1.5 mil lion from Lowe’s Companies, Inc. for the university’s School of Business. The award will name the 200-person audi torium in the School of Business’ new facility and also name a new academic program.

The gift is the largest received to date for the 70,000 square foot building. Upon completion in late 2022, it will occupy 4.58 acres on the northwest pe rimeter of NCCU’s campus. The award will develop a new academic program in the school and provide curriculum development, faculty recruitment and student scholarships.

NCCU’s School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Colle giate Schools of Business (AACSB). This recognition is bestowed upon fewer than 5% of business schools around the world and is granted after a rigorous review of the school’s scholarly and instructional performance. Since it was first accredited by the AACSB in 2007, the school has successfully maintained this recognition.

“On behalf of the students, faculty, staff and alumni of NCCU, we are grateful to Lowe’s for their generous gift that will greatly enhance the learning environment and academic experience for our students and amplify our efforts to develop as tute business leaders,” said Johnson O. Akinleye, chancellor of NCCU. “NCCU’s School of Business is a signature academic program that produces influencers who serve in key leadership roles in numerous business sectors. I’m certain that the new partnership bearing Lowe’s name will fuel new ideas from our scholars that will transform business industries of today and tomorrow.”

Lowe’s gift is part of the company’s commitment to opening doors for talent ed and hard-working students, including through partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities. “Lowe’s has a history of investing in communities and focusing philanthropic contributions on initiatives that break down barriers to opportunity and economic mobility,” said Lowe’s chairman and chief executive officer, Marvin Ellison. “I’m thrilled that the new auditorium will bear the Lowe’s name. But more importantly, I’m excited that this investment will strengthen the business school at NCCU and give us an opportunity to create an academic pro gram that will deepen the region’s talent pool of future leaders.”

“ The School of Business is honored to enter into this new collaboration with Lowe’s,” said Anthony Nelson, Ph.D., dean, NCCU School of Business. “Their fi nancial and human capital investment will enhance academic programming, al lowing NCCU students to remain competitive in the ever-changing and demand ing world of business.”

NCCU Alumna Trustee and Family Gift $500,000 to Name Accounting Program in New School of Business

North Carolina Central Uni versity (NCCU) alumna and Board of Trustees member HELLENA HUNT

LEY TIDWELL, ’68, and her sons, William DeVane Tidwell and Dami on Lamar Tidwell, made the largest single contribution to date toward nam ing opportunities for the university’s new School of Business building. The donation was made in honor of their late husband and father, alumnus and former university Trustee, Isaiah Tidwell, ’67, and invests in academic programming in the discipline that nurtured him into a successful, national business leader.

The Isaiah Tidwell Accounting Pro gram will usher in the next generation of skilled accountants to help grow and sustain the financial health of business es around the world. These resources will fund the redevelopment of curricu lum, expansion of faculty resources and scholarships for student support and en gagement.

After a brief stint at Celanese Fibers Company, Isaiah Tidwell joined Wacho via Bank, N.A. in 1971 and rose through the ranks of executive leadership to be come president of the Georgia Bank. In 2004, he retired as Executive Vice Pres ident and Director of Wealth Manage ment after 32-years of service. Tidwell also served on the boards of several public companies. He passed away in 2019. A native of Charlotte, N.C., he at tended NCCU, where he graduated with a degree in commerce, and later earned an MBA from the Babcock Graduate School of Management at Wake Forest University.

“Hellena Huntley Tidwell, and her late husband, Isaiah, are NCCU alumni whose benevolence to and investment in

their alma mater span several decades,” said Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D., chan cellor of NCCU. “Trustee Tidwell and her sons’ gift to NCCU in honor of their fam ily’s trailblazing patriarch showcases their ongoing commitment to educating schol ars and accelerating the advancement of future business leaders.”

“ Throughout his career, Isaiah always attributed his successful career to the ex cellent academic preparation he received under the tutelage of his accounting pro fessors at NCCU,” said his widow, Trust ee Hellena Huntley Tidwell. “Our family honors his memory with this gift which we hope will strengthen the School of Business as it strives to become a stellar program that provides opportunities for students seeking careers in business.”

A state-of-the-art, 76,000 square-foot School of Business building is under construction at NCCU with completion scheduled for fall 2023. New program ming, technology and infrastructure will grow and develop research, innovation and skill building opportunities for busi ness students. Naming opportunities for the facility have generated contributions from numerous distinguished alumni in support of School of Business initiatives, to include student scholarships, student conference registrations, and specialized business software to give students a com petitive edge.

“We are thrilled about and thankful for the Tidwell family’s contribution to honor former NCCU trustee Isaiah Tid well, for whom the accounting program will be fittingly named, “said Anthony Nelson, Ph.D., dean of the NCCU School of Business. “The success of the School of Business is dependent upon contri butions like the Tidwell’s in creating and sustaining leading programs, as well as attracting and preparing students to soar in their respective careers.”

Naming opportunities are still avail able. For more information, please contact Jim Ervin, at Jim.Ervin@nccu. edu, NCCU Division of Institutional Ad vancement, at jaallen@nccu.edu.

“Trustee Tidwell and her sons’ gift to NCCU in honor of their family’s trailblazing patriarch showcases their ongoing commitment to educating scholars and accelerating the advancement of future business leaders.”

– Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye

institutional advancement

NCCU AWARDED $6.2M FROM BUILD BACK BETTER REGIONAL CHALLENGE

North Carolina Central University’s (NCCU) Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE) has been awarded $6.2 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Build Back Better Regional Challenge. The award is the result of the efforts of a statewide coalition of public and private partner organizations and institutions, led by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBiotech).

The NCBiotech-led consortium, which includes NCCU, is one of only 21 projects chosen from 60 applicants. The phase two award will further strengthen North Carolina’s life sciences manufacturing cluster by expanding, connecting, and promoting training and career opportunities to underserved and distressed communities, including historically excluded populations.

Launched in 2008, NCCU’s BRITE focuses on research and training efforts that contribute to the workforce development for the biomanufacturing and pharmaceutical industries in North Carolina. As part of the award, the university’s research enterprise will lead the establishment of six training hubs at the state’s historically Black colleges and universities - Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Livingstone College, Saint Augustine University, Winston-Salem State University - and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, North Carolina’s sole historically American Indian university. The training hubs will deliver hands-on, short courses on manufacturing biopharmaceuticals to an inclusive and diverse population.

“The idea for this project came from our National Institute for Innovation in Manufactur ing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) testbed grant to establish a short course in bioprocess ing,” said Hernán Navarro, Ph.D., director of BRITE. “This would allow anyone, regardless of educational background, to receive training in upstream and downstream bioprocessing, and permit them to participate in the economic growth associated with North Carolina’s growing biomanufacturing industry. Moreover, the project goals are in keeping with our workforce development mission for the life sciences industry in North Carolina.”

“The establishment of this research partnership with fellow minority-serving institutions across the state is key in expanding opportunities for student scholars to develop leadership skills through innovative research,” said Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D., NCCU chancellor. “North Carolina Central University is pleased to receive this funding and continue to deliver on our Eagle Promise, which ensures that students graduate from the university career-ready.”

NCCU generated $27 million in sponsored research funding during the 2021-2022 academic year. The $6.2 million award from the EDA is a giant step in the university eclipsing last year’s total.

Other consortium projects include expanding the number of trained life sciences manufacturing workers by enrolling citizens from across the state in BioWork and other life sciences training programs, which will be led by the North Carolina Community College System. NCBiotech will also launch ambassador and apprenticeship programs to increase awareness of and access to life sciences manufacturing training and job opportunities.

“This is a huge win for North Carolina’s citizens, businesses, and economy as it will take our state’s life sciences manufacturing capability to the next level,” said Bill Bullock, NCBiotech’s senior vice president for economic development and statewide operations. “This award will enable us to attract and develop a more diverse workforce to manufacture vaccines, gene and cell therapies, antibodies, and other medicines. Enabling greater equity for our underserved populations as well as those in distressed and rural communities is essential. We are grateful to the EDA, our state leaders, including the Governor and the NC General Assembly, the NC Biosciences Organization, and the many community and industry partners that contributed to this transformative project.”

Giving Briefs

FORMER JUDGE HONORED WITH ROOM DEDICATION

 On November 10, 2021, the Law School held a dedication ceremony and naming of its Legal Clinic Conference Room in honor of Judge A. Leon Stanback, Jr. Judge Stanback served as superior court judge for the 14th Judicial District of the Third Division of the Superior Court, in Durham County, North Carolina.

“I am humbled and honored by this recognition and overflowing with love and gratitude for my entire family,” said Judge Stanback. “NCCU has been at the center of my legal career since I began Law School in 1965. I am thrilled that the Legal Clinic Conference Room will stand as a beacon of inspiration for future law students.”

Judge Stanback earned his Bach elor of Science and Juris Doctorate from NCCU.

NCCU One of Five HBCUs Awarded Grant Funding

is awarding more than $2 million to five Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in North Carolina to establish the PNC North Carolina HBCU Initiative, an effort that aims to enrich the future of entrepreneurship and create workforce opportunities in the state.

The grants will be distributed over a three-year peri od to help fund the development and delivery of entre preneurship resources and programming for students at Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, North Carolina Central University and Winston-Salem State Universi ty – institutions that play an integral role in cultivating Black business leaders and fostering wealth creation in Black communities.

“At PNC, we recognize how important HBCUs are to our state’s success,” said Weston Andress, PNC regional president for Western Carolinas. “HBCU graduates con tribute significantly to the talent pipeline that is fueling North Carolina’s economy, and these institutions are foundational to shaping the workforce North Carolina needs to remain competitive in business.”

With an emphasis on entrepreneurship and eco nomic empowerment, the PNC North Carolina HBCU Initiative will enable grantee institutions to enhance their respective entrepreneurship curricula and offerings – from the introduction of new programs, to capacity-building opportunities, to technology enhancements. Additionally, students from all five schools will have the opportunity to participate in the PNC Pitch Competition, an annual forum where student-entrepreneurs can showcase innovative ideas and demonstrate their marketing skills.

“PNC shares with these institutions a vision for advancing inclusive entrepreneurship education and opportunities,” said Jim Hansen, PNC regional president for Eastern Carolinas. “This initiative is the latest exam ple of our ongoing support for North Carolina HBCUs, which over the years has included grant funding, mentorship programs and financial literacy education.

We look forward to joining student-entrepreneurs and their campus communities on this meaningful, threeyear journey.”

At NCCU, the grant funding will help establish the North Carolina Central University Center for Entrepre neurship and Economic Development (CEED), a uni versity-based program that will provide CEED Student Fellows with entrepreneurial and community economic development education and comprehensive small business finance training, with the encouragement to become community development investors.

“Our students are driven, and they care deeply about our community and making it a better place. This pro gram will extend beyond the classroom to bring entrepreneurship and community development to life in a new and tangible way, while providing practical training and tools for effecting significant community impact," said Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D., chancellor of NCCU. "We are grateful to PNC for its ongoing support and for this generous grant, which will help us further empower our students and prepare them for lives of service.”

“While entrepreneurship is the central focus of the PNC North Carolina HBCU Initiative, each grantee is ap proaching the scope of their projects differently to meet the needs and opportunities unique to each institution,” said Lori Jones Gibbs, PNC Community Development Banking market manager for the Carolinas. “This initia tive underscores the many creative ways entrepreneur ship is coming to life for North Carolina students.”

These grants align with PNC’s support for HBCUs throughout the country and complement the ongoing development of the Howard University and PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship. Additionally, this funding is part of PNC’s nationwide $88 billion Community Benefits Plan, which is inclusive of a previ ously announced commitment of more than $1 billion to support the economic empowerment of Black and low- and moderate-income communities.

At PNC, we recognize how important HBCUs are to our state’s success.”

EDMONDS-HARRIS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT; BYNUM NAMED NCCU CHEERLEADING HEAD COACH

LuAnn is an iconic representative of Eagle Pride and Eagle Excellence. For more than 30 years, she has faithfully devoted her career to her alma mater and has made a significant impact on the lives of thousands of students.

— Dr. Louis "Skip" Perkins NCCU Director of Athletics

FTER 30 YEARS of exemplary leadership of the cheerleading program at North Carolina Central University, LuAnn Edmonds-Harris announced her retirement and one of her former cheerleaders and long time assistant coach, La'Tasha Bynum, was selected as NCCU's new head cheerleading coach.

A Durham native and 1975 NCCU graduate with a bachelor's degree in theater arts, Edmonds-Harris began her professional career at her alma mater as an admissions counselor in 1986, and became the cheerleading head coach in 1992. A member of her family has worked under the leader ship of one of the Presidents/ Chancellors since founder Dr. James E. Shepard.

“LuAnn is an iconic representative of Eagle Pride and Eagle Excellence," said

NCCU Director of Athletics Dr. Louis “Skip” Perkins. "For more than 30 years, she has faithfully devoted her career to her alma mater and has made a significant impact on the lives of thousands of students she has mentored, cared for, and embraced as her own. She placed NCCU cheerleading on the map as a program of class, creativity and distinction. We are truly grateful for LuAnn's dedicated, valued, and enthusi astic service to NCCU.”

A Winston-Salem native and 2006 graduate of NCCU, Bynum was a four-year varsity cheerleading letterwinner and two-year captain, earning the most valuable cheerleader award and all-conference honors during her senior season. She joined the NCCU cheerleading coaching staff as a volunteer in 2006, over seeing the junior varsity squad before becoming a varsity assistant coach in 2012 and being elevated to associate head coach in 2017.

“La’Tasha brings more than a decade of coaching experience and an unmatched familiarity of the NCCU cheerleading program to this new leadership role," said Perkins. "We are thrilled to have her continued service to her alma mater, as she builds upon the solid foundation established by her mentor and creates a legacy of her own.”

La'Tasha brings more than a decade of coaching experience and an unmatched familiarity of the NCCU cheerleading program to this new leadership role. We are thrilled to have her continued service to her alma mater, as she builds upon the solid foundation established by her mentor and creates a legacy of her own."

— Dr. Louis "Skip" Perkins, NCCU Director of Athletics

athletic briefs

Duke’s Mayo Classic I Charlotte I Sept. 3, 2022

Photo courtesy of the Charlotte Sports Foundation

LeVelle

Moton Park is open in Raleigh.

The City of Raleigh renamed the park on April 30, 2022 in honor of the local philanthropist and men's head basketball coach at NCCU. Moton grew up playing basketball at the same park, formerly known as Lane Street Park.

Six individuals were selected for induction into the Alex M. Rivera North Carolina Central University Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept. 18, 2021.

EMANUEL CHAPMAN, men's basketball (2010-14); JEREMY INGRAM, men's basketball (2010-14); CLARISSE STEANS, softball (2004-06); BENJAMIN TATE, football (1979-82); ZAKIA VANHOOSE, women's basketball (1998-2002); and MELVIN WALLACE, football (1982-85); were inducted into the Alex M. Rivera Athletics Hall of Fame during a ceremony inside McDougald-McLendon Arena.

Former NCCU men's basketball coach Greg Jackson inducted into the Central Intercolle giate Athletic Association (CIAA) Hall of Fame.

At NCCU, GREG JACKSON was a two-time CIAA Coach of the Year in 1992 and 1993, led the Eagles to four 20-win seasons, and served as an assistant under Mike Bernard for seven seasons, including the 1988-89 campaign when the Eagles captured the NCAA Division II National Championship.

Photo courtesy of Oralia Washington

àFor more athletic news, schedules and tickets, visit nccueaglepride.com.

athletic briefs

Photo courtesy of News & Observer Photo courtesy of News & Observer

NCCU Selected as Recipient of Getty Images Grant

North Carolina Central University was one of four recipients of the inaugural Getty Images Photo Archive Grant for His torically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), an initiative aimed at preserving and amplifying the invaluable visual his tory of HBCUs.

Funding from the grant will support the digitization of roughly 50,000 rarely seen archival photographs from NCCU’s library, including stories of Black Wall Street in Durham and the school’s sports history, as well as images of historical figures visiting the campus, including Zora Hurston, Adam C. Powell, JH Franklin, and Thurgood Marshall. Claflin University, Jackson State University and Prairie View A&M University were also selected as recipients of the grant.

North Carolina Central University will retain all copyright of its photos and once digitized, the historical content will be placed in a newly created stand-alone Getty Images photo collection dubbed the “HBCU Photo Collection,” which will be made available for licensing in 2022.

All revenue generated from the images that are pre served through the grants will be funneled back into impact programs: 50 percent will go to grant recipients; 30 percent of revenue will be used for a financial donation to a scholar ship fund focused on furthering the education of students at HBCUs; and 20 percent will be reinvested to fund the Getty Images Photo Archive Grants for HBCUs each year.

919-530-7399 / E-mail: rgallow7@nccu.edu

Contact the SACSCOC at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of NCCU. Copyright 2022, North Carolina Central University.

Please send address corrections to Advancement Services, Phone:

or mail to 1801 Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC 27707. This public document was produced digitally in the Fall of 2022 and distributed to NCCU supporters and donors at no cost. NCCU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degrees.

Pictured: North Carolina College for Negroes Class of 1923-24 (Photo courtesy of AP/file 1972)

from the

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Photo courtesy of the Charlotte Sports Foundation