North Carolina A&T Alumni in the News

On August 3, Angelica Smith ’14 competed in the Petite USA Pageant in Chicago, Illinois, where she emerged victorious among contestants from across the country. Remarkably, this was Smith’s first pageant experience, and she won the national title by exemplifying grace, style, and elegance. Smith expressed her joy on social media, stating, “One of the best parts about this experience…

From 1939 to 1973, there was a fondly remembered cafe on East Market Street across from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s campus. Among the many businesses that populated the area, this place was considered a landmark and a go-to place for generations of Aggies. Beyond the juicy hamburgers and famous fried bologna sandwiches, this place was more meaningful…

The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Office of Alumni Relations would like to recap the unforgettable moments we shared during the Alumni Reunion Weekend for the Golden Class of 1974 and Silver Class of 1999. Aggies traveled as far as Portugal, Spain, Albany, New York, Chicago, Milwaukee, Dallas, Texas, Los Angeles, and San Diego, California to North Carolina to…

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” The marriage of the Rev. Nelson Johnson ’86 and Joyce H. Johnson ’90 has stood the test of time, lasting for nearly 55 years. Their impactful story was featured in Essence…

For generations of Aggies, there is one name that fully embodied the right combination of music, stage, glamour, theater, and worldwide fame. That Aggie alumna was international opera star, Margaret Tynes ‘41, who passed on March 7, 2024, at the age of 104. As far as it is known to the university archives, she was not only the eldest living…

In the fall of 1984, freshman and sophomores, Lamont Christian ‘87, Charles “Shon” Yancey ‘94, Michael Humphrey ‘87, Gerald Tharrington ‘89, Darrell McNeil ‘17, and Stephanie Simon ‘87 would embark on what we now call the greatest percussionists of all time – Cold Steel. In the December 2023 N.C. A&T Alumni Times, Bluford Library Archives reported the first official mention…

Siobahn Day Grady ‘18, Ph.D., stands on the shoulders of hidden figures – women of color who worked in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and never acknowledged for their significant contributions to society. A passionate professor, speaker, author and role model to women and girls interested in STEM education, Grady was the first woman to complete her doctoral degree…

On March 15, two North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University alumnae, Wanda Gardiner ’87 and Victoria Revelle ’11, were honored during the CAA Tournament as Hometown Heroes. Both recipients received recognition basketballs during the 2024 women’s CAA basketball Championship at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, D.C. The CAA Hometown Heroes program recognizes individuals who have made a…

A lifetime native of Forsyth, Georgia, David Sewell Jr. ’53 recently celebrated 70 years as an Aggie in 2023. He is 90 years young and will turn 91 in July. He attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 1950 at the age of 16. During that time, he stayed in the new dorms called the barracks and majored…