Alumni voicing disappointment with NCCU's new logo

Students and alumni of North Carolina Central University are sounding off about the university's rebranding.

NCCU, a Historically Black College and University in Durham, unveiled a new logo and tagline- Discover what's Central to you- last week that had been in the works since 2016.

The new logo, using the school's colors of maroon and grey against a white background, is made up of six quadrilaterals meant to be an abstract concept, resembling both the architectural elements of the school's historic administrative building and the wings of an eagle, which is the university's mascot. To the right of the symbol, is "NC Central University" written in modern, bold text.

The new logo will replace the NCCU name logo that featured a maroon outline of the historic Hoey Administrative Building and a tree in the foreground with the name of the university spelled out, "North Carolina Central University."

The university said it sought input from focus groups made up of NCCU students, alumni, faculty, staff, and supporters.

The school said the logo achieved the goals it set from the beginning: appealing to NCCU'S diverse university community, honoring its legacy as an HBCU while also looking toward the future, and better reflecting the school's expanding academic programs.

However, alumni are voicing their disappointment with the logo on social media. One woman commenting, "The gentrification of my dear nccu. Where is the eagle? It lacks the swag of a HBCU. I guess that was the point."

Students on campus expressed mixed opinions.

"It's good to move forward," said George Ihediwa, NCCU Senior. "It's good to keep innovating, but it's also good to keep your identity as we are known as an HBCU."

The school's branding will still include the motto, "Truth and Service" as well as the university seal, featuring founder Dr. James E. Shephard on official university correspondence. The Dept. Of Athletics will also continue using the Eagle mark.