GREENSBORO, N.C. (HUNS) — When democracy cried out, North Carolina A&T students Shia Rozier and Olu Rouse answered the call.
Amid the strife and stress that Aggies have faced with the removal of an accessible early voting location on their campus, Rozier and Rouse came together to provide solutions, primarily through the creation of a student-led political advocacy group, Protect Ours NC.
“Our HBCUs have always been places where voices are awakened and futures are shaped, but true empowerment means making sure every Aggie has the access, resources and opportunity to turn their voice into a vote,” said Morgan Williams, a junior health service management student.
Protect Ours NC has been keeping young people and the larger Greensboro community up to date with the voter suppression efforts by the North Carolina Board of Elections since Nov. 21, 2025.
The organization slowly expanded its reach beyond A&T’s campus by partnering with nonpartisan groups such as Influence NC, Democracy NC, Donuts + Democracy and Common Cause North Carolina.
Ariana Stewart, a sophomore political science student, told the Register, “I love the student-run organizations that promote voter accessibility and civic engagement. The more individuals and groups that are informing the student body and the Guilford community of their civic duties is a job well done in my book.”
Since the voting took place to exclude the polling site from the Dudley Memorial Building, students were informed that the closest early voting location would be a 45-minute walk from campus.
“I think it’s also imperative that individuals know that voting isn’t the finish line,” Stewart said. “Although voting is very important, so is attending city council meetings, holding elected officials accountable and continuing to advocate for your rights outside of election season.”
Protect Ours is dedicated to making voting more accessible for college students across North Carolina.
They launched a Givebutter fundraiser in collaboration with Carolina Forward Foundation to raise money to provide students with transportation to Board of Elections hearings, to and from the polls and to cultivate “Get Out the Vote” initiatives while providing voter registration materials.
Since January 2026, the organizers have turned their focus toward raising funds to take young adults to the Old County Courthouse for five days of the early voting period.
Securing a shuttle for the 1.5-mile journey costs about $1,500 per trip. At the time of publishing, they sit at $25,672 raised out of their total goal of $50,000.
“Voting as a young person in this country is a powerful way for our voices to be heard and have [a] direct impact on governmental decisions. Young voters have the power to decide policy that will affect generations,” said Stewart.
“Policies such as reproductive rights, voting accessibility and even that refund check. Staying informed of what’s happening not only federally but locally is crucial to effectively participate.”
Students like Cassie Heard, a junior public relations journalism and mass communication student, have not allowed the bleak political circumstances to keep them down.
“I think the disconnect between our generation and our approach towards voting comes from a lack of understanding of how local and federal elections directly impact us,” she said.
Heard is the director of content for SpeakOut NCAT, a relatively new student organization that was founded by Alexis Cox, a junior political science student.
SpeakOut’s mission is to give young people the tools they need to become the social activists and movement-builders of tomorrow.
“Students can actively [inform] others on the importance of voting by showcasing the areas in which federal policy actually affects them,” Heard said.
“I serve on the E-Board of speakOUT, so getting to be a part of the conversation and directly contributing to voter visibility on our campus and beyond is very fulfilling.”
Aggies have made it clear through ongoing demonstrations and initiatives that they will not allow their voices to be silenced, making this organization just the tip of the iceberg of what young people at A&T can accomplish when coming together for a common cause.
Kennedi L. Goode-Bey is managing editor of the A&T Register at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, where this article was originally published. The Register and HUNewsService.com are part of the HBCU Election Project in collaboration with WHUT-TV Howard University Television. They are also among 10 HBCU newsrooms in the Indaba Student Press Leadership and Innovation Consortium, sponsored by Howard’s Center for Journalism & Democracy.
