HBCU News – N.C. A&T’S Center of Excellence for Social Justice Hosts Melissa Harris-Perry for Second Campus Visit

By Markita C. Rowe, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences public communications specialist

The Center of Excellence for Social Justice (CESJ) at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is hosting college professor, award-winning writer, speaker and media host Melissa Harris-Perry, Ph.D., for her second visit as 2025-26 Scholar Activist-in-Residence through Tuesday, March 24.

As part of her residency, Harris-Perry will deliver a public lecture, “True to Our Native Land: Blackness, Land and Power in American Politics,” on Tuesday, March 24, at 5 p.m. in Carver Hall, Room 104, 402 Laurel St. The event is free and open to the public, including all students, faculty and staff.

The Scholar Activist-in-Residence program brings leading thinkers, writers and change-makers to N.C. A&T for extended engagements that encourage dialogue on social justice issues. During her initial visit in October, Harris-Perry engaged with the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS), collaborating with students, faculty and community members through lectures, discussions and mentoring sessions. She also delivered a public lecture that brought together thinkers, writers, and change-makers, inspiring dialogue and a drive for social change.

During this visit, Harris-Perry is connecting with students, faculty and the community through interactive lectures, mentoring sessions, and conversations designed to challenge thinking and inspire action. She is collaborating with departments within CAHSS, including History and Political Science, Criminal Justice, and Journalism and Mass Communication, to explore new ideas about social justice, civic engagement and leadership.

“We’re excited to welcome Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry back to campus as our Scholar Activist-in-Residence,” said Paul Baker, Ph.D., CESJ interim director. “Her work inspires our students to think deeply about justice and leadership, and her public lecture will spark meaningful dialogue on campus and in the community. We’re honored to collaborate with her again and build on the impact she continues to make here.”

Harris-Perry serves as professor and Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University in the Department of Politics and International Affairs, the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, the African American Studies Program, and the Program in Environment and Sustainability. She is also founder and president of the Anna Julia Cooper Center, which advances justice through intersectional scholarship and action. She is the author of the award-winning books, “Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought” and “Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America.”

For more information about Harris-Perry’s residency or CESJ programs, email Baker at pkbaker@ncat.edu.

About North Carolina A&T State University

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is the nation’s largest historically Black university, as well one of the top 25 “Most Innovative” universities in America (U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2024). North Carolina A&T is a land-grant, doctoral research university and a constituent member of the University of North Carolina System. An exponential university, A&T is recognized widely for its national leadership in graduating African American students in engineering, agriculture and other STEM fields. The university was established in 1891 as only the second land-grant college created under the second Morrill Act and is located in Greensboro, North Carolina.