North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University will host an inaugural HBCU Democracy Day next week.
The all-day event is designed to bring scholars, journalists and civil rights activists together on campus. Speakers will discuss the role that Historically Black Colleges and Universities have played in shaping American democracy.
The event is presented by the university’s Center of Excellence for Social Justice, which is directed by Jelani Favors.
He says HBCUs have been incubators for political activism since their earliest days in the 19th century, even before Blacks had the right to vote.
“I thought it'd be great to sort of lean back into that tradition, that legacy, and sort of reignite our students’ understanding of democracy and citizenship and civic engagement and how black colleges have really been at the forefront of that struggle again since their very inception,” he says.
The nonpartisan HBCU Democracy Day is scheduled for Wednesday, October 16.