North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has held the distinction of being the nation’s largest HBCU since 2014. Before seeing record-breaking enrollment numbers and gaining national recognition for its STEM and medical programs, NC A&T played an indelible role in the Civil Rights Movement and in cultivating a space for educational and cultural growth for generations of Black people. In the new multi-part documentary “Our Blues Make Us Gold”, filmmakers Ashley Shantè and Brandon Deese capture the history and resilience that fuel the “Aggie Pride” associated with NC A&T. Each episode presents historical or first-person narratives that show how the university stands as a beacon of progress not only for itself but for HBCUs across the nation.
The documentary highlights the impact of the A&T Four (also known as the Greensboro Four), the four first-year students who sat at a downtown Woolworth’s lunch counter in February 1960, sparking a sit-in movement that spread across the South. It also revisits the often-overlooked May 1969 NC A&T/Dudley High School Revolt, when students protested the National Guard storming the campus. From there, the film emphasizes the university’s present-day legacy, marked by educational milestones such as its award-winning agricultural program and its standing as one of the top producers of African American graduates in engineering and other STEM fields. Episodes also feature interviews with notable HBCU graduates who embody the DNA of greatness that emerges from NC A&T and institutions like it.
HBCUs are more than homecomings, famous marching bands and stacked athletic departments. As the documentary’s title suggests, they are an everlasting symbol of “our blues” — our struggle, our heartbreak, our resistance — and “our gold” — our pride, our progress, our global impact…