Yara Shahidi Set To Kick Off N.C. A&T Chancellor’s Speaker Series

Yara Shahidi is kicking off the 2024 season of NC A&T Chancellor’s Speaker Series with a discussion focused on the upcoming election.

Yara Shahidi is kicking off The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Chancellor’s Speaker Series’ 2024 season with a discussion focused on the upcoming election.

The Black-ish star’s N.C. A&T discussion, titled “Your Voice, Your Vote,” will begin the school’s annual Speaker Series on Oct. 24, at 6 p.m., inside the Harrison Auditorium. North Carolina A&T’s 2019 alum Tylik McMillan will moderate the conversation.

The dialogue will offer accurate information and sound discussion in response to the steadily intensifying political race leading up to Election Day. McMillan will guide Shahidi in a discussion on civic engagement, both individual and collective, emphasizing the responsibility and power we hold to drive change.

Shahidi was the perfect public figure to book for the Speaker Series as she worked extensively with former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama before founding Eighteen x 18, now known as WeVoteNext, to highlight Gen Z and promote the inclusion of Black, Indigenous, and people of color in the political process.

Despite her fame and success, Shahidi remained committed to her education, earning a B.A. in social studies and African American studies from Harvard University, all while starring in hit shows Black-ish and Grown-ish. Her degree focused on Black political thought within a neocolonial context.

McMillian is an international civil rights activist and movement strategist dedicated to educating lawmakers and stakeholders about the challenges and opportunities facing communities. He advocates for policies and resources that promote economic and social equality. Driven by a passion for advocacy, McMillian has collaborated with Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network and played a key role in organizing and speaking at the 2020 Commitment March on Washington and the 2021 March On for Voting Rights.

The Chancellor’s Speaker Series is free and open to the public. Tickets for “Your Voice, Your Vote” will be available from the University Ticket Office in Brown Hall beginning Oct. 7.