Yara Shahidi Talks Civic Engagement and Education at Chancellor’s Speaker Series

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Oct. 28, 2024) – North Carolina A&T welcomed powerhouse actress, producer, change agent and leader, Yara Shahidi to the Chancellor’s Speaker Series, “Your Voice, Your Vote,” Oct. 24.

Kicking off the conversation, moderator, alumnus Tylik McMillan shared the deeply personal connection and moment of gratitude he felt at the event.

“I remember when I was a freshman being out in this audience, listening to speakers such as Gabrielle Union, Angela Rye, Common and Bishop TD Jakes. And now to be standing on this stage moderating, I’m full of Aggie Pride,” said McMillan.

Shahidi shared a similar sentiment of appreciation when she was asked how she developed her voice? It began with investment from many others and was a journey that she didn’t take alone including conversations with friends, educators and family members, some of which are graduates of N.C. A&T.

“I think so many times as young people, we are put into a position to just suddenly develop a fully thought-out philosophy on life at 18 but aren’t often given the space to work it out in real time,” said Shahidi. “But the fact that I always had access to people that were willing to be in conversation with me and were willing to help me figure out what I thought about the world and help me put names to it was fundamental to me finding my voice.”

A self-proclaimed nerd, Shahidi discussed her love of simply learning about life that sparked her interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. She says it’s due to her natural curiosities and the leaders that have always been strong figures in her life.

“I always grew up seeing women in math, black women in particular, taking the lead in these subjects,” she said. “I remember the shock when I was fresh out of middle school and realized that so many people, especially brown and black folks don’t get to see ourselves as leaders in the field even though we know historically we’ve always been innovators. I think it was so important to me to continue to advocate for it.”

While Shahidi encouraged the audience in the power of their voice and vote, she reminded them of the importance of education and action.  

“I knew there was so much more to the activist lineage than what our generation has been taking on. And that’s been important to my formation,” she said. “And so my time at Harvard was really spent being able to dig deep to understand how diasporically, we’ve all been at the forefront. And our ancestors and generations before have been at the forefront of making global change.”