Friends of Shaw U

On February 12, 1960, Shaw University and Saint Augustine's College students were arrested after participating in a planned sit-in protest at the Woolworth's in Cameron Village.

Their "crime"? Challenging segregation.

At a time when Black Americans could spend money in many businesses but were denied equal service, these students chose courage over comfort and action over silence.

These students were arrested. But none were defeated. The young men and women in this photograph understood something we must never forget:

There is power in unity. Different schools. Different backgrounds. One purpose.

More than 65 years later, their example still speaks. Stay engaged. Stay informed. Stay united. Because history has shown us that when people stand together, mountains move.

We're sharing this because we feel that you deserve to know the WHOLE truth. Shaw U administration held a zoom meeting yesterday. We were curious about Dr. Dillard's claim about Shaw being in compliance from the latest financial audit. So we asked a few fellow alum who specialize in accounting and audit language and here's what they told us.

"Dr Dillard said that the most recent audit performed said that Shaw was in compliance. But she left out some pretty significant details."

The audit ALSO shows:

• Shaw lost another $2.1 million in fiscal year 2025.
• Total debt grew from $11.2 million to $20.8 million in one year.
• The university required lender waivers after falling out of compliance with certain loan requirements.
• More than $2.1 million intended for endowment funds is still owed back to the endowment.

Not sure what all of this means? Well, let's paraphrase. We were told Shaw received a clean audit. What we weren't told is that the same audit contained findings, repeat findings, growing debt, and unanswered questions. This is why transparency matters. Because when administration only tells parts of the story that make them look good, trust becomes the casualty.

Shaw U Nation. Never stop asking questions. The future of Shaw is too important for anything less. DM us if you want to see the complete audit.

Did you attend the Shaw U Alumni Town Hall? We did. Here's our takeaway.

This wasn't really a town hall. It was a presentation that should have been given during Homecoming, Confab, or a general body NAA meeting. They talked about accreditation, enrollment, fundraising, aging buildings and that alumni doesn't give enough.

Here's what we DIDN'T hear. We didn't hear from the National Alumni Association President. We didn't hear a plan to rebuild relationships with alumni. We didn't hear how Shaw intends to reconnect with the thousands of graduates who feel disrespected and disconnected from the university. We didn't hear how alumni, students, faculty, or the community will be involved in shaping Shaw's future.

But check this out. Dr. Dillard said that The Shaw U District Master Plan is complete. According to her, Shaw's future vision will require more than half a billion dollars. Yet despite telling us that plan has been approved by the board, the university did not publicly release the plan, didn't mention if they intend to, they didn't provide meaningful details about it, identify specific projects, share timelines, explain preservation strategies, or answer many of the questions alumni have been asking for years. Instead, attendees were shown two illustrations that appeared to be AI renderings and were left with more questions than answers. (see one of the images below)

A master plan is supposed to be a roadmap. Dr. Dillard told us that the destination exists, but nobody was shown the map.

What was your biggest takeaway from the Town Hall?

On the eve of Shaw University's Alumni Town Hall, here's something you should think about.

Wallace Green is not an architect.
He is not a planner.
He is not a developer.
He is a commercial real estate broker.
His business is selling commercial property.

So why are developers reportedly being given private tours of Shaw-owned land by Shaw's real estate advisor?

Who authorized the tours?

What properties are being shown? And what conversations are taking place behind closed doors?

When a university hires a real estate broker to show land to developers, alumni has every right to ask whether portions of that land are being marketed for future sale.

So the question isn't whether the tours happened. The question is, WHY ARE DEVELOPERS GETTING PRIVATE TOURS WHILE ALUMNI ARE STILL ASKING BASIC QUESTIONS ABOUT SHAW'S FUTURE? What properties have been sold already and to whom? Dr. Dillard has never been honest and she must go - along with Board Chairman Joe Bell.

🚨 Shaw U Nation! We need to talk 🚨

National Alumni Association leadership claims they knew NOTHING about this upcoming Alumni Town Hall happening on June 4th.

EDITED TO ADD FOR CLARIFICATION: When this Town Hall was first announced, multiple people stated that alumni leadership was unaware of it. Since then, leadership has apparently been informed and has helped circulate the information. Our intent was to discuss the communication confusion, not to intentionally mislead anyone.

And here’s the part raising even more questions. The meeting isn’t until 8 days from now, but registration has already been CLOSED.

EDITED TO ADD: The original link for this meeting was deleted...but a SECOND link has now been distributed to some people. We're sharing and would encourage those who are interested in participating to register: https://tinyurl.com/shawtownhall

Also note that the original time of the time hall has ALSO been changed. And the deadline to submit questions has passed. Contact Shaw directly for clarification.

Did you hear about this? If so, how were you informed? 👀 Drop a comment below.

There is a major difference between development and displacement. A major difference between growth and erasure. And a major difference between preserving this HBCU's legacy and simply designing around its disappearance.

We're not emotional because we hate progress. We're emotional because history matters.