A student-led protest at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) on Wednesday turned tense after law enforcement intervened, resulting in five arrests. The demonstration was organized to raise awareness about deteriorating on-campus housing conditions, including mold infestations, pest issues, and aging infrastructure that many students say have gone unaddressed for years.
Chants for Change: “No Housing, No Peace”
Hundreds of students marched across campus, chanting slogans like “we need housing” and “no housing, no peace” as they gathered to voice frustrations about the university’s failure to provide safe, affordable housing. First-year student Waverly Hill shared her experience:
“A lot of our dorms currently have mold in them. They’re very old and haven’t been renovated in a really long time.”
Arrests Spark Outrage Among Students and Faculty
The peaceful protest took a turn when NCCU campus police detained five individuals, including adjunct history professor Daniel Atwood, according to WRAL News. The university later released a statement calling the protest an “unauthorized rally,” and confirmed that three of those arrested were not affiliated with the institution.
Charges filed include second-degree trespassing, resisting a public officer, and failure to disperse. The arrests have since drawn criticism from students and faculty, many of whom argue that the university should be listening to concerns rather than criminalizing them.
University Administration Responds
In a campus-wide message issued after the protest, NCCU Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon addressed the unrest directly, stating, “We hear you.” Dixon explained that university leadership was in Raleigh at the time of the protest, advocating for more than $100 million in state funding to upgrade university residence halls and academic buildings.
“We are actively working to bring long-term solutions to NCCU,” Dixon said.
A Growing Campus with Growing Pains
While NCCU opened three new residence halls in 2022, housing remains a pressing issue. In August 2024, the university welcomed its largest incoming class in 15 years—1,918 first-year students, 296 transfers, and 18 second-degree students—straining existing residential resources.
