Chinedu Nwokeafor
Chinedu Nwokeafor hails from Washington, D.C., however, grew up in Bowie, a suburb of Prince George's County in Maryland. He is the last of 4 children, and from a young age showed signs of having a different spirit. Throughout Grade school he found himself in trouble a lot, most of the time challenging the status quo of his education. He was labeled a troublemaker for his actions, but also revered as a different thinker. Although he comes from a traditional Nigerian American family, Chinedu seemed to always stand out even when it was inconvenient for him. He spoke up for those who didn’t have a vice, and he was never afraid to question the authority figures in school about their lack of leadership. Unbeknownst to him, that fire exploded when he attended Morgan State University.
In 2010 Chinedu started his collegiate journey that transformed his life. He intended to study Electrical Engineering, but God had other plans for him. When he first arrived on campus, he didn’t take time to adjust to life being away from home. He was failing out of his engineering program and didn’t really have any direction to where he wanted to go in life. But a death in 2012 would change his life forever. This event was so powerful that it completely renewed his spirit and changed his trajectory and moved him out of being an engineer, and elevated him towards the Speech Communication major.
Activism has been a major pillar in the development of Chinedu. He has led major peaceful protests in the Baltimore area, since 2012. He prides himself on being a voice for his community as well as a leader to his peers. In 2012 he led hundreds of Morgan State University students through the streets of Baltimore as they demonstrated after Trayvon Martin Died. As the years went by similar demonstrations took place for Freddie Gray, Mike Brown, and so many others. Activism is dear to Chinedu's heart, and no matter what field he is in, he continues to question the status quo, and create new opportunities for growth and cooperation from opposing sides.
Activism has been a major pillar in the development of Chinedu. He has led major peaceful protests in the Baltimore area, since 2012. He prides himself on being a voice for his community as well as a leader to his peers. In 2012 he led hundreds of Morgan State University students through the streets of Baltimore as they demonstrated after Trayvon Martin Died. As the years went by similar demonstrations took place for Freddie Gray, Mike Brown, and so many others. Activism is dear to Chinedu's heart, and no matter what field he is in, he continues to question the status quo, and create new opportunities for growth and cooperation from opposing sides.
Currently, he serves as a Office Engineer at Holder Construction Company. Previously, he was the business liaison at Morgan State University. He has achieved success at Morgan State University and in the Baltimore community by bridging the gap between different cultures, ethnicities, and beliefs. Chinedu is skilled at excelling in any field he enters, and he was selected to be a 2018 Forbes 30 Under 30 Scholar where he participated in the J. P. Morgan Hack-A-Thon, receiving second place with his team’s ideas behind composting technology. Chinedu yearns to involve himself in multiple fields that promote his growth and the betterment of his community.
As a China-U.S. Relations Fellow at Harvard (Project Pengyou), Chinedu was able to bring a dynamic perspective to international friendship and strategic partnership. This initiative inspired him to become a member of Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA), & Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP). Education has always been a major part of Chinedu’s passion; he continuously promotes higher education and is an activist for black excellence in education. He has spoken at the U.S. Department of Education, to inspire young high school scholars on the importance of the Historically Black College & Universities (HBCUs). He is also a plaintiff and student advocate for the HBCU Equity Lawsuit, wherein the Coalition Of Equity & Excellence sued Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) for discriminatory practices and insufficient funding for Maryland’s 4 HBCUS. With Chinedu's help, the Coalition Of Equity & Excellence won $577 million, which is the largest settlement in HBCU history. In the future, he plans to use his project management skills to pursue a doctoral degree in higher education. He wants to use his community activism and project management skills in order to change the climate of higher education at HBCUs. Ultimately, Chinedu envisions a career with the White House Initiative on HBCUs under the U.S. Department of Education.
As a China-U.S. Relations Fellow at Harvard (Project Pengyou), Chinedu was able to bring a dynamic perspective to international friendship and strategic partnership. This initiative inspired him to become a member of Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA), & Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP). Education has always been a major part of Chinedu’s passion; he continuously promotes higher education and is an activist for black excellence in education. He has spoken at the U.S. Department of Education, to inspire young high school scholars on the importance of the Historically Black College & Universities (HBCUs). He is also a plaintiff and student advocate for the HBCU Equity Lawsuit, wherein the Coalition Of Equity & Excellence sued Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) for discriminatory practices and insufficient funding for Maryland’s 4 HBCUS. With Chinedu's help, the Coalition Of Equity & Excellence won $577 million, which is the largest settlement in HBCU history. In the future, he plans to use his project management skills to pursue a doctoral degree in higher education. He wants to use his community activism and project management skills in order to change the climate of higher education at HBCUs. Ultimately, Chinedu envisions a career with the White House Initiative on HBCUs under the U.S. Department of Education.
