Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, president of the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, which is the largest state conference in the south-second largest in nation, will keynote the fall Convocation Ceremony. Convocation is scheduled for September 19 at 10 a.m. in the University Quad.

In 2011, Rev. Dr. William Barber was re-elected national board member for the NAACP and appointed as the national NAACP Chair of the Legislative Political Action Committee. Under his leadership, the NAACP developed a new 21st Century voter registration/voter participation system. In North Carolina, this system registered more than 442,000 new voters and provided access to 1.5 million voters. He led fundraising efforts for the NC NAACP raising more than $2 million of new money

Since Rev. Dr. Barber became president, he led the North Carolina NAACP State Conference to national recognition when he accepted the 2006 Juanita Jackson Mitchell, Esq. Award for legal activism, the highest award in the NAACP for Legal Redress for Advocacy. In addition, in 2008, the NC NAACP became the recipient of the Thalheimer Award for most programmatic NAACP State Conference and in 2010 Rev. Dr. Barber won the National NAACP Kelly Alexander Award.

Rev. Dr. Barber has served as the executive director of N.C. Human Relations Commission, State of North Carolina. He has also served as an adjunct instructor at N.C. Wesleyan, North Carolina Central University and Duke Divinity School.

Rev. Dr. Barber has written one book titled “Preaching Through Unexpected Pain” and several articles and is currently working on his second book. He has been featured on Wall Street, CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, Crisis Magazine, and has spoken, preached and lectured around the country.

Rev. Dr. Barber’s membership affiliations have included Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Prince Hall Mason, 33°.Scotish Rite, and a Shriner. He has received many awards for his work fighting for justice, social change, and for speaking truth to power.

Rev. Dr. Barber graduated cum laude from North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in Durham receiving a B.A. in political science. He received a master of divinity degree from Duke University, where he was a Benjamin Mays Fellow and a Dean scholar. He has a doctoral degree from Drew University in Madison, N.J. with a concentration in public policy and pastoral care. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from NCCU. Former Governor Beverly Purdue presented Rev. Dr. Barber with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina’s highest citizenship award presented to outstanding North Carolinians who have a proven record of service to the state.

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II is married to Rebecca McLean Barber and they have five children.