Friends of Shaw U

"If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.”

-Carter G Woodson

Where will YOU be on Friday, October 30, 2026 @ 1PM?

There is something about these photographs that should make every Shaw Bear stop scrolling.

For YEARS, something strange has happened whenever concerns about Shaw have been raised. Instead of asking Shaw for answers, people have questioned US for asking.

Why are you doing this publicly?
Why don't you just ask the administration?
What have YOU done for Shaw?

Meanwhile, the questions remained unanswered. We HAVE asked. We have written. Called. Requested documents. Requested meetings. Asked about the master plan, the finances, our property, our endowment and the future of this university. And when answers didn't come, we kept asking. Not because we're against Shaw University. Because somebody has to be willing to stand up FOR Shaw.

Now look at these photographs.

We imagine these students didn't agree on everything. They came from different backgrounds, different classes, even different schools. But when something bigger than themselves was at stake, they UNIFIED. They didn't allow their differences to become more important than their cause.

That's the lesson.

We don't have to agree on everything. We don't have to like each other. But we damn sure better understand when it's time to stand together.

Shaw is bigger than ALL of us. They understood that then. We need to understand it NOW.

We have learned that President of Shaw U, Paulette Dillard's contract is being renewed beyond its expiration in spite of broken promises, unanswered questions, continued financial concerns, and a Master Plan that alumni still have not seen.

We strongly encourage alumni to ATTEND the upcoming Shaw University National Alumni Association meeting and ASK QUESTIONS. This meeting has traditionally been held in the chapel during Homecoming. Yet, according to Shaw University’s Homecoming website, this year’s location is still listed as “TO BE DETERMINED.” Pay attention for updates. Find out where the meeting is being held. Show up. This is not the year to sit this one out.

Here are 10 questions Shaw alumni deserve answers to:

1. WHERE IS THE MASTER PLAN?
Dr. Dillard told us the Master Plan would be completed and shared. More than a year and a half later, alumni still haven't seen it. When will the complete plan be released to the Shaw community?

2. WHY IS DR. DILLARD'S CONTRACT BEING RENEWED NOW?
What specific performance measures did the Board use to evaluate her presidency, and what accomplishments justified extending her contract before these major outstanding issues were resolved?

3. WHAT IS THE ACTUAL FINANCIAL CONDITION OF SHAW UNIVERSITY?
Not talking points. Alumni deserve a clear accounting of the University's debt, available cash, outstanding obligations, and current financial outlook.

4. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ENDOWMENT FUNDS?
Shaw's audited financial statements identified donor-restricted contributions intended for endowment that were instead used for operations. How much is still owed back to those funds, and what is the timeline for restoring the money?

5. WHY HAS SHAW BORROWED MILLIONS WHILE USING UNIVERSITY PROPERTY AS COLLATERAL?
What properties currently secure Shaw's loans, how much debt is outstanding against them, and what happens to those properties if Shaw cannot meet its obligations?

6. WHAT SHAW PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY FOR SALE OR BEING CONSIDERED FOR SALE?
Alumni deserve a complete list. What has been sold, what is being marketed, and what property could be sold or transferred under the Master Plan?

7. WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR THE DORMS AND STUDENT HOUSING?
With residential facilities closed or undergoing significant repairs, where is the written timeline, funding source and plan for restoring safe, adequate on-campus housing?

8. WHY ARE MAJOR DECISIONS BEING MADE WITHOUT MEANINGFUL ALUMNI TRANSPARENCY?
Who is making the decisions regarding property, borrowing, redevelopment and the future footprint of Shaw, and when are alumni supposed to have a meaningful voice in those decisions?

9. WHAT IS THE BOARD'S PLAN TO ADDRESS GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY?
Who are the University's current, active trustees, when do their terms expire, and what process is being used to appoint, renew or replace Board members?

10. WHAT EXACTLY WILL SHAW UNIVERSITY LOOK LIKE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW?
Will Shaw remain a residential university on its historic downtown Raleigh campus? What buildings will remain, what will be demolished or redeveloped, how many students does Shaw expect to serve, and who will control the land?

ASK THE QUESTIONS SHAW U NATION!!!!!!!

Supporting Shaw does not require remaining silent. If the administration and Board have a sound plan for Shaw University's future, alumni should be able to see it, understand it and ask questions about it.

Something is very wrong at Shaw U. And at some point, we have to stop pretending these are all isolated incidents.

No hotel block. (even though we predict that one will magically appear at some point) A campus closed to alumni during Homecoming. At what point do we start asking what Shaw University is preparing for?

Why are alumni coming HOME to a campus they apparently cannot freely access after these hours? And against the backdrop of everything we have been documenting about Shaw's finances, property, governance and the still-unreleased master plan, what exactly is happening at our university?

The Friends of Shaw U wasn't created because we wanted a fight. It was created because too many things stopped making sense. This doesn't make sense either.

Sound off in the comments. We really need to hear from you.

It's been 588 days since Shaw was supposed to release the Shaw U District Master plan. That plan is the roadmap for Shaw’s future: what gets built, what gets preserved, what gets sold, and what gets financed. We were promised that plan in early 2025. We are still waiting.

Meanwhile, Shaw is carrying tens of millions of dollars in debt and other liabilities, borrowing against University assets, and claiming that it will cost over a half billion dollars to develop Shaw's "new" campus.

The longer this administration stays silent, the worse this looks.

588 days is not a delay. It is a transparency problem. A HUGE transparency problem.

A Shaw University trustee once described fellow trustee Tom Darden to us with one word...

"Billionaire."

He's wealthy. And has some really wealthy friends too.

🎓 Education

• B.A., UNC Chapel Hill (Morehead Scholar)
• Master of Regional Planning, UNC Chapel Hill
• J.D., Yale Law School

That made us realize something. Most Shaw alumni know very little about the people entrusted with governing one of America's oldest HBCUs. So we decided to change that. People really need to begin to understand who is helping shape Shaw University's future. The president serves at the pleasure of the board. But the board holds all the power.

Swipe ➡️ Read 📖 Think 🧩

PS - People are more willing to invest in a university when they see its leaders investing too. Trustees are generally expected to:

Give
Raise
Advocate
Govern
Protect the institution's future