Willie Gary To Speak at NC State’s Annual Brotherhood Celebration

Willie E. Gary, a nationally renowned trial lawyer, humanitarian and philanthropist, will deliver a public lecture on Friday, Feb. 6, at 1 p.m. in the North Carolina State University Witherspoon Student Center’s Washington Sankofa Room (Room 126) as part of NC State’s 27th annual University-Community Brotherhood Celebration.

The lecture is free and open to the public. The Witherspoon Student Center is located at the corner of Cates Avenue and Dan Allen Drive.

Gary will be presented the Benjamin E. Mays Memorial Award, which honors an African-American who has made significant contributions to the United States as a scholar and humanitarian. Gary is being recognized for his philanthropy, community leadership and public service. The award will be presented at the annual Brotherhood Dinner, which is invitation only. In addition to Gary, six outstanding African-American students representing NC State, St. Augustine’s College and Shaw University will be honored at the dinner.

The Brotherhood Dinner was established in 1982 to recognize important contributions that African-Americans have made and continue to make to the nation and the world. The purpose of the University-Community Brotherhood Dinner is for NC State University, Shaw University, Saint Augustine’s College and people of the greater Raleigh-Research Triangle area to reaffirm their commitment to promoting the economic, social and educational well being of everyone in the community. Previous honorees include former U.S. Rep. Eva M. Clayton; astronaut Col. Guion S. Bluford, Jr.; historian Dr. John Hope Franklin; educator and civil rights pioneer Robert Moses; former Bennett College president Dr. Johnnetta Cole; and former National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chairman Julian Bond.
The six African-American students representing NC State, St. Augustine’s College and Shaw University who will be honored for their academic achievement and community service at the Brotherhood Dinner are:

NC State: Lamar Crawford of Raeford, a senior majoring in biochemistry; and LaStella Miles of Rowland, a senior majoring in industrial engineering.

Shaw: Evingerlean Blakney of Charlotte, a senior majoring in mass communications; and Edgar Huff III of Hubert, a senior majoring in political science.

St. Augustine’s: Amirah Ambekisye of Charlotte, a junior majoring in business administration; and Oyita Udiani of Capitol Heights, Md., a junior majoring in engineering mathematics.

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