Two N.C. A&T Students Present Research on Impact of HBCUs on Social Justice

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (March 17, 2025) — Research by North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University undergraduate students Kyla Holton and Jayden Seay, along with junior political science Honors College student Keon Jordan, is shedding new light on the role historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have played in shaping social justice movements. Jordan, who co-authored and proofread the in-progress paper, contributed to the research's thorough analysis and accuracy.

Holton and Seay recently presented their in-progress research paper, "Somebody Dreamed, Somebody Worked, Somebody Prayed": How the Flourishing of Political Idealism at HBCUs Produced SNCC's Freedom, at the Southern Political Science Association conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

Their research offers fresh insights about the ways HBCUs helped foster the political idealism and activism that propelled the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and its voting rights efforts.  

“We had to go through places that traditional research ignores to find these narratives and to rebuild these stories of resistance,” said Seay, an Honors College senior and February One Scholar from Woodbridge, Virginia who is studying history education in N.C. A&T’s College of Education.  

“As we look to the future, we have to remember that the same pieces hidden in history are the pieces hidden out in the world. While we look for solutions, it’s about piecing it all back together,” he said. 

Using oral histories, journal articles, books, letters, obituaries and interviews from archival collections, Seay and Holton found that the bridge connecting HBCUs to activism, advocacy and community engagement is the “second curriculum,” a term coined by Jelani M. Favors, Ph.D., Justice Henry Frye Distinguished Professor of history and political science in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) and Center of Excellence for Social Justice director. 

“The second curriculum really embraces the idea that Black colleges were very deliberate in training their students that they have a voice, that they have intellectual talents, and they should use them, not just for their personal benefit, but to use them in order to make America a better country for all people,” said Favors. 

Holton, a senior liberal studies major and Dowdy Scholar from Raleigh, North Carolina, said this idea also bolsters a sense of HBCU idealism, which suggests that education isn’t just about personal advancement but also about contributing to society and making a positive impact. 

“I've learned that HBCUs are really at the foundation of everything. With every single movement, we have been the backbone,” she said. “When you look at how Black people gather in a safe space, it was at churches and HBCUs. That’s where they were able to gather without being harassed and killed. 

“We created these spaces, and I don’t think people give respect where respect is due.” 

The two, along with 16 CAHSS students, presented their findings as a part of their political research methods course taught by Ayanna Armstrong, Ph.D., assistant history and political science professor. 

In this course, students learn procedures for collecting and analyzing political data through qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. As a part of their final exam, they submit their findings to professional conferences and journals for publishing. 

Daphne M. Cooper, Ph.D., associate professor and interim chair for the Department of History and Political Science, believes experiences like these introduce CAHSS students to valuable networking opportunities and establish them as thought-leaders in their field. She and Favors collaborated to secure funding for the students who attended the conference, enabling them to present their research without any financial burdens. 

“I’m proud that our A&T students can just go there and present amongst scholars who are in the field and have already obtained their degrees,” said Cooper. 

For Seay, this level of research inspires others to continue the work of those who came before them. 

“Telling more of the HBCU history, digging in on our points of pride as a university, and telling the stories and histories of what we’ve been able to do will help advance the university on all fields,” he said.