Ajamu Dillahunt-Holloway, Ph.D., commended honors students at McDougald—McLendon Arena on April 4.
“You have shown you can complete a task no matter the circumstance,” said Dillahunt-Holloway, keynote speaker during the Honors Convocation. “In addition to being proud of yourself, as you prepare for the next stage in life, you should approach it with confidence. Eagles everywhere are making strides in health care, education, science and research and law and music and social work.”
He added, however, that doing well is not enough.
“The conditions of our world require us Eagles to lead,” said Dillahunt-Holloway. “Your commitment to truth and service is far from over.”
Dillahunt-Holloway, who earned bachelor’s degrees in history and political science in 2019 at NCCU before earning a doctorate at Michigan State University, spoke of his own undergraduate experience.
“When I got to NCCU, the only thing I was interested in was how I could I be part of the movement to change the world,” he said.
Professors in the history and political science departments encouraged that aspect of him but said “if you want to change something, you have to understand it.”
Dillahunt-Holloway, who is now an assistant professor of African American history and public history at North Carolina State University, did so. He studied a variety of topics including Black politics in America, democracy and public policy, European history, the African presence in Europe, history of Pan-Africanism, Haitian history, etc. He has presented his research at conferences around the world.
Dillahunt-Holloway offered other Eagle examples.
Julius Chambers, who graduated from NCCU in 1958 with a degree in history but earned a law degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and became a noted civil rights attorney before returning decades later to become the ninth NCCU chancellor.
NCCU founder Dr. James E. Shepard earned pharmacy and divinity degrees at Shaw University but ultimately chose to start an institution “to fill an educational gap for my people.”
Dr. Helen G. Edmonds earned a doctorate in history at The Ohio State University and taught at NCCU so she could train historians to study the Black experience.
Being Honored
Among the honorees was Taya Davis, who received the Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence. Davis, who is majoring in biology, is a Cheatham-White Scholar. She has served as president of the Honors Student Council, president of Science African American Majors Evolving, director of community engagement for the Student Government Association and is an American Heart Association Scholar. She plans to attend physician assistant school and specialize in pediatrics.
Provost Ontario Wooden presented the University Award for Academic Excellence to Ryan Atwater, Travis Cotton, Monique Dacanay, Samantha Gibson, Kawanda Hall, Zaria Hanchell, Jasmyn Harper, Gian Hasbrock, Kimberly McNeil, Emmie Modlin, Julio Perla, Seniah Porter and Sameen Qadri.