Alumni

A Tar Heel’s Liftoff

"I need to take this moment in for a little while...

"I need to take this moment in for a little while...

Donovan Livingston ’09 delivered what has been called “the greatest graduation speech ever” at the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s 2016 graduation, touching on the racial inequalities of the education system. Now a doctoral student at UNC-Greensboro, he’s researching the role of hip hop in higher education and its impact on student success.

Donovan Livingston is a 2009 graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor of arts degree in history. While at Carolina, Donovan was actively involved in campus life through organizations like the Campus Y, where he co-directed Carolina United and the Black Student Movement, serving as president. After graduation, he became a member of the Carolina College Advising Corps, serving as an adviser to high school students in Guilford County.

This is story number 130 in the Carolina Stories 225th Anniversary Edition magazine.

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