North Carolina Central University (NCCU) will honor its top scholars at the 76th Annual Honors Convocation at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 4, at the McDougald-McLendon Arena, 700 E. Lawson St.
The university will present awards to students in several categories, including the Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence, the University Award for Academic Excellence and recognition for deans’ list honorees, departmental academic achievements and memberships in professional and academic honor societies.
Ajamu Dillahunt-Holloway, Ph.D., '19, an assistant professor of African American history and public history at North Carolina State University, will deliver the keynote address.
His research focuses on 20th century African American history, particularly in the U.S. South, labor, environmental justice and the Black freedom struggle.
Dillahunt-Holloway is also co-leader of The Communiversity, an archive and educational institution preserving the records of Black Workers for Justice. He serves on the boards of several organizations, including Democracy North Carolina, the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network and the Interreligious Foundation of Community Organizations. In 2023, he was appointed to the Historic Resources and Museums Advisory Board in Raleigh.
A graduate of NCCU, Dillahunt-Holloway holds degrees in history and political science. While a student, he was part of the Aspiring Eagles Academy and involved in several community organizations. He is also a Spring 2017 initiate of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. Additionally, he traveled internationally with the NCCU School of Law, conducting research in Palestine, South Africa and Cuba. Dillahunt-Holloway earned his Ph.D. in history from Michigan State University in 2023.
A list of honorees is available here.