Queen Latifah will bring star power and a message of achievement to North Carolina A&T when she serves as keynote speaker for the university’s undergraduate commencement ceremonies in May 2026.
North Carolina A&T announced Monday that the award-winning entertainer, producer and actress will speak at both baccalaureate ceremonies on Saturday, May 9, at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro. The first ceremony is scheduled for 9 a.m., while the second is set for 2:30 p.m.
The appearance gives North Carolina A&T one of the most recognizable commencement speakers in the country this spring. It also adds a major cultural figure to a weekend that will celebrate nearly 2,000 undergraduate students and almost 350 graduate students.
Queen Latifah has built a career that spans music, television and film. She became the first hip-hop artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. She later earned an Academy Award nomination for her role as Mama Morton in Chicago.
Her résumé also includes a Golden Globe win and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Life Support. She earned a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1994 and has collected seven Grammy nominations overall. Her television work includes Living Single, The Queen Latifah Show and the CBS reboot of The Equalizer.
North Carolina A&T said Latifah will address graduates from different colleges across the university during the two Saturday ceremonies. The morning event will include the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, College of Education, College of Engineering, and the John R. and Kathy R. Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences.
Queen Latifah, North Carolina A&T and a big commencement weekend
The afternoon ceremony will feature the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics, and the College of Science and Technology.
North Carolina A&T also announced that alumna Dr. Nia Danielle Banks will speak at the graduate student ceremony on Friday, May 8, at 6 p.m. Banks earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the university before continuing her medical and surgical training at Johns Hopkins University.
Still, Queen Latifah is the headline name for the weekend. Her selection reflects North Carolina A&T’s habit of pairing academic achievement with broad cultural relevance. For graduates walking across the stage in May, the moment will come with advice from a woman who has thrived in music, film, television and business.
That makes Queen Latifah a fitting choice for North Carolina A&T as the university sends another class into the world.