By Ariel Germain
The North Carolina Central University Rock the Lyceum lecture series returns for the 2022-2023 academic year with Eagle alumnus and actor J. Alphonse Nicholson on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 7 p.m., as part of the university’s Eagle Mania events welcoming students to campus. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place in the event hall of the NCCU Student Center at 500 Nelson St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
The Greensboro, N.C., native is prominently known for his role as Lil Murda on the Starz series “P-Valley.” Along with his NAACP Image Award-nominated role, Nicholson is known for roles in the critically-acclaimed film “Just Mercy” alongside Michael B. Jordan; “Self Made” featuring Octavia Spencer; “Hit a Lick”; and “Perfectly Single,” to name a few.
Nicholson enrolled at NCCU in 2008 as a theater major. During his matriculation, he fell in love with the art of storytelling and began his professional acting career in 2009, serving in lead roles of theatrical plays, including Howard L. Craft’s “Caleb Calypso and the Midnight Marauders” in community and regional theaters across the country. In 2014, he moved to New York City and shortly after, made his television debut on the CBS drama series “Blue Bloods.”
The Rock the Lyceum lecture series is hosted by NCCU’s Office of Student Engagement and Leadership and the Lyceum Committee. The series brings in several of the nation’s top entrepreneurs and thought leaders to engage students in relevant topics in education, entertainment, politics, and social justice. Past speakers have included Keke Palmer, Angela Rye, T.I., Michael Vick, Roland Martin and Phylicia Rashad.
Public parking for the event is available in the NCCU Student Center Surface Lot, the Miller Morgan Surface Lot and the L.T. Walker Surface Lot.
