Black History Month Exhibit 2024

Ellen McGuire was an African American woman who began working at NC State in 1908. According to a 1939 Technician article, McGuire was born into slavery on a North Carolina plantation. Although McGuire maintained many responsibilities, she spent many years working in the infirmary on campus.

Alexander Bailey was hired by the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station (located at A&M College) as the first African American agricultural extension agent.

State College admitted two African American graduate students into the School of Engineering: Robert Clemons and Hardy Liston. Clemons became the college's first black graduate. Liston withdrew and didn't complete his degree.

The first four African American undergraduates enrolled at North Carolina State College: Ed Carson (electrical engineering), and Manuel Crockett (electrical engineering) enrolled in summer. Irwin Holmes (electrical engineering), and Walter Holmes (mechanical engineering, aerospace option) enrolled in fall.

The first African American woman hired as an academic staff member, Justina Williams, worked in the Department of Genetics's drosophila research lab. Many African Americans worked at State prior to Williams's appointment, however, they primarily worked in custodial or food service positions.

Irwin Holmes earned a BS in electrical engineering, making him the first African American undergraduate to receive a degree at NC State. Further documentation of Irwin Holmes's life exists at DigitalNC.

Norma Wright Garcia became the first African American woman to receive an undergraduate degree after earning a BA in history.

Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Reynolds Coliseum to a crowd of over 5,000 individuals as well as a television audience of WUNC-TV. At the same time as the event, Klu Klux Klan members marched in violent protest in downtown Raleigh. Despite this, King continued with his speech.

A group of students held a rally to support better wages and working conditions for physical plant workers on campus. The protest was organized by the Society of Afro-American Culture and an offshoot of Students for a Democratic Society known as "The Group."

Students formed NC State's first African American Cultural Center, which was given space in the YMCA building.

The first annual Pan Afrikan Festival began and continued until April 2, 1971. The festival featured lectures by C. T. Vivian and other speakers as well as musical performances.

David Thompson was named NC State's first African American All-American winner in basketball. In 2012, he was inducted into the NC State Athletics Hall of Fame.

Chancellor Bruce Poulton instituted the first annual Brotherhood Dinner to honor African Americans who made important contributions to the nation and the world. The annual dinner continued for more than 25 years, and honorees included John Hope Franklin, Gwendolyn Brooks, C. T. Vivian, Julian Bond, and John Lewis. In 1978, there may have been an earlier brotherhood dinner honoring Samual Nesbritt.

Kevin Howell was the first African American to serve as student body president from 1987 to 1988. He was a political science major. After graduation, he was hired as the university's primary liaison with state and local governments.

Greeks United sponsored the March Against Racism-Challenging History (M.A.R.C.H.) to support change in the university's policies towards African American students. During the protest, students marched to the chancellor's office in Holladay Hall to present a petition that demanded immediate action. NC State's first African American student body president, Kevin Howell (1987-1988), participated in the M.A.R.C.H.

Enrollment of African American students passed 2,000, Latinx students passed 200, and international students passed 1,000.

The African American Cultural Center opened in the new Student Center Annex, later renamed the Witherspoon Student Center. In 1992, following months of student and faculty protests, NC State administrators granted the African American Cultural Center an operating budget.

African American students participated in a sit-in at a Student Senate meeting to express concern for the lack of funding for African American organizations. Out of $40,000 of appropriations, African American organizations received a mere $755. The Student Senate agreed to send the bill back to committee for re-evaluation.

First organized by students in spring 2011, Diversity Education Week became an annual event to promote awareness and understanding of diverse cultures and foster intercultural understanding.

Three hundred students held a Blackout protesting African American lives lost in police shootings in Charlotte, NC, and Tulsa, OK. The protest began in Wolf Plaza and moved into Talley Student Center, where students performed a die-in. On October 1st, seventy students protested at Carter-Finley Stadium during a football game.

The Nubian Message published a special edition on the Black Lives Matter Movement. Topics of discussion included organizing protests and concerns regarding police violence against African Americans.

Melanie Flowers became the first African American woman elected student body president at NC State. She was also elected Chair of the Council of Student Body Presidents for the University of North Carolina System.