Remembering David Dansby Jr., first Black undergraduate to get their degree from UNC

Posted Jun 11, 2024
In 1961, David Dansby Jr. and his fellow classmates dedicated themselves to the fight for desegregation in Chapel Hill. In May of that year, Dansby became the first known African American undergraduate to earn his degree from the University of North Carolina and went on to attend the UNC School of Law. Dansby died on January 22 at the age of 84. (Daily Tar Heel)

Related: Campus Connections

Eric Church Uses His Guitar To Deliver Powerful Commencement Speech At UNC
UNC-Chapel Hill held its 2026 graduation ceremony, and the commencement address was delivered by North Carolina native and diehard Tar Heel fan Eric Church. And...
Mon May 25, 2026

Carolina Performing Arts Unveils Multi-Day Performance Festival for ‘Campus and Downtown’
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and, in our modern society, many people are struggling with loneliness and finding connection with others. Alison Friedman, the...
Sun May 24, 2026

Play-by-Play Class in UNC’s Journalism School Wraps Up Debut Semester
Listeners of 97.9 The Hill know Matt Krause as the voice of UNC women’s basketball. The most recent season was Krause’s eighth behind the mic...
Sat May 23, 2026

Newly Minted Carolina Alumni Celebrate at Commencement
Country musician and North Carolina native Eric Church delivered the commencement address with his six-string in hand, complemented by a guitar strap featuring an interlocking...
Thu May 21, 2026