HBCU Student Action Alliance

As we celebrate Black History Month, we recall the rich legacy of brave student activists, past and present, at North Carolina’s HBCUs who have played a crucial part in the civil rights and Black Lives Matter movements.

The 2020 election year was a rich and challenging environment for our HBCU Democracy Fellows program.

Led by the school's marching band, the SAU community walked together to the polls on Election Day to make their voices heard at the ballot box.

Our Democracy Fellows have a message for North Carolina: vote!

Students at HBCU campuses across the state registered to vote and got nonpartisan information about the 2020 election.

Common Cause NC and Black Voters Matter helped students at Livingstone College get registered to vote.

Students at Livingstone College met to exchange ideas on how to boost civic engagement among young voters.

Students at Saint Augustine's University in Raleigh registered to vote ahead of the 2020 general election.

Jazmyne Abney, a student at NC Central University, writes about the power college students have to be heard in the 2020 census and election.

De’Quan Isom, a student at Shaw University, writes that "our democracy, today, stands under pressure but in that pressure diamonds can be made."

Love Caesar, a student at NC A&T State University, writes about implementing institutes of politics on HBCU campuses to build student civic engagement.

Our Democracy Fellows went on social media to encourage students to be counted in the 2020 U.S. census.

HBCU students in Raleigh, Durham, Fayetteville and around the state cast a ballot in North Carolina's primary.

"I was a little emotional. We learn about people who died for our right to vote. I don’t want what they did to be in vain.”

Students at NC Central University walked together to an early voting site on their campus to cast a ballot in North Carolina’s primary election.

Livingstone College students were at the polls to help spread the word that photo ID was not required for the 2020 primary election.

Our Democracy Fellows helped organize a Party at the Polls to encourage students to make their voices heard in the primary election.

Ashley King, our Democracy Fellow at Bennett College, helped students get ready for the 2020 election by registering to vote.

HBCU students made their voices heard as North Carolinians rallied for our democracy

Kylah Guion, a student at NC A&T State University in Greensboro, writes on how colleges can make voting more accessible for students.

Ashley King, a student at Bennett College in Greensboro, writes on the need to achieve gender equality now.

Led by the school's Sound Machine Marching Band, students at NC Central University walked together to the polls to vote early in Durham's local election.

"I hope that this helps students recognize that we need to vote," said Mackeyla Davis, a student at SAU and a Democracy Fellow with Common Cause NC.

“I hope that this will build a lifestyle of voting, where students will be encouraged to vote not just in this election, but in every election to come,” said DeQuan Isom, a Democracy Fellow with Common Cause NC.

Democracy Fellows at NC Central University are working to engage their fellow students in the democratic process and making their voices heard as HBCU student leaders.

Organized by the Common Cause HBCU Student Action Alliance, the lobby day allowed students to meet in person with legislators to discuss funding for their schools and protecting voting rights of students.

Students at Bennett College in Greensboro have a message for North Carolinians: go vote!

Students from Fayetteville State University canvassed the community, sharing nonpartisan voter guides with residents and encouraging them to go vote.