Diamoni Davis ’27 named Newman Civic Fellow
Diamoni Davis ’27 first heard the call to help others as a child in Chicago’s South Side. “Just seeing the circumstances in my neighborhood—from poverty to gun violence to lack of resources within the education system—I was always intrigued why these issues were still happening, and it just led me to want to try to fix it,” he said.
“I realized that to do nothing is to contribute to the problem. I just wanted to pick up the tools, start building, start creating something that’s better—not only for myself, but for the future generations to come.”
The rising sophomore now has a new tool to help change the world: he has been named a 2024-2025 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, a Boston-based coalition of colleges and universities forming the largest and oldest association dedicated to higher education civic and community engagement.
College presidents or chancellors nominate fellows based on their potential for public leadership and their work with communities. Throughout the fellowship year, students enjoy opportunities to nurture their assets and receive guidance on developing strategies for social change and work together to create a network of connected and engaged student leaders. The latest group includes students from campuses across 38 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico.
In his statement of purpose for the fellowship, Davis wrote, “I am tired of seeing the same issues or problems stuck in a time-lapse, causing recurring chaos in their wake. I want to fix economic disparities, debunk the institutions of race and unify people.” He added he was interested in the Newman Civic Fellowship “not because I think I’m a leader, but because I’m willing to do what it takes to go beyond change and improve the world. I’m willing to buckle down and solve the problems of the past so they can’t develop in the present to re-manifest in the future.”
In a nomination letter, Connecticut College Interim President Les Wong said Davis is “the definition of a scholar-activist … a student leader concerned with advancing Black American people and strategies to combat their special oppression. Through the study of African American poetry and prose as an English major and through nascent student leadership in affinity groups like the Men of Color Alliance (MOCA) and the Black Student Union (BSU), Diamoni aims to exalt the voices and achievements of Black American people.”
In addition to his involvement in MOCA and BSU, Davis is a Posse scholar who mentors high school youth in New London as a volunteer with the Holleran Center for Community Action’s Genesis Mentorship Program. Next semester, he will begin his tenure as president of the People of Color Alliance (POCA).
Davis said his Posse cohort of Conn students from Chicago helped ease his transition from a predominantly Black high school to Connecticut College, where the student body is about 70% white. “But other students of color who don’t have the luxury of being in Posse can face very real challenges from time to time,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of kindhearted, amazing people; I can already tell those relationships are going to last into the future. But I still think there’s a lot to be done.”
As president of POCA, he plans to help develop more DEI initiatives that he hopes will generate ripple effects beyond campus. “I want to help the students of color become more engaged on campus, which would bring so many more opportunities of perspective, of changing school culture, and even more sources of funding. It can not only create an environment of inclusivity where all perspectives are heard and valued and appreciated, but it can also spill over into a larger picture, a wider skill that can touch every campus, every state, every country.”
Connecticut College offers a wide range of fellowship opportunities for students and recent graduates. For more information, visit The Walter Commons or email fellowships@conncoll.edu.
