Hampton, Va (September 22, 2026) – After reviving Hampton University’s National Council of Negro Women section and growing it from three members to 245, senior Ya’Kyjah Maddox ’27 took that spirit of service and advocacy to the 2026 March on Washington.
When Ya’Kyjah Maddox stood in Washington, D.C. at the Lincoln Memorial, representing Hampton and the National Council of Negro Women at the march, she understood the weight of the moment.
For Maddox, a fourth-year psychology major on the forensics track with a minor in criminal justice, this moment connected generations of advocacy with the responsibility of young leaders today.
“To see our generation stand in a place where previous generations fought for justice, while continuing to advocate for voting rights, economic opportunity, and the future of our communities, was a reminder that we are not simply beneficiaries of history. We are actively making history ourselves,” Maddox said.
That responsibility has shaped Maddox’s leadership at Hampton.
After discovering that Hampton’s NCNW section, originally founded Dec. 5, 2017, by Olivia Okeke, was no longer active, Maddox decided to bring it back. On Aug. 1, 2024, she rechartered the section with just three members.
Today, it has reached 245.
“The rechartering reminded me that sometimes leadership begins with simply asking, ‘Why don’t we have this here anymore?’” Maddox said. “And then having the courage to say, ‘Why can’t I be the person who brings it back?’”
A Family Connection to the NCNW Legacy
Maddox’s connection to NCNW is also personal.
Her grandmother, Eva Ernestine Hardwick, was a Jacksonville, Florida, native who, according to Maddox’s family history, developed a friendship with NCNW founder and founder of Bethune-Cookman University, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. Hardwick had an opportunity to become involved with an early group of women connected to Bethune’s work but was unable to participate because she had recently assumed responsibility for caring for Maddox’s mother following an adoption.
Maddox had little time with her grandmother before she died, but learning about that history gave new meaning to her own commitment to service.
“In many ways, I feel that I am continuing a legacy that was placed in my family long before I understood its significance,” Maddox said.
“Ya’Kyjah Maddox represents the kind of leadership Hampton seeks to develop in every student,” said President Darrell K. Williams ’83.
“She has connected history with action, strengthened a community of young women on our campus and carried Hampton’s tradition of service to a national stage. Her leadership reminds us that our students do not simply inherit a legacy. They have a responsibility to build upon it.”
Service That Reaches Beyond Campus
Under Maddox’s leadership, the Hampton NCNW section has turned its growing membership into measurable community service.
Members donated more than $600 through a Homecoming breast cancer raffle, helped provide more than 1,000 meals to families through the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank, donated more than 200 canned goods through a Sistergiving Food Drive, and contributed essential items to Mary T. Christian Elementary School. Members also completed 48 hours of volunteer service with The Salvation Army Hampton Roads Area Command during the first months of 2026.
The section received the Rising Star Award during its first year after rechartering and later earned five honors recognizing its community service, advocacy, cultural impact and women’s empowerment.
For Maddox, however, the greater accomplishment is creating a place where Hampton women can serve, lead and support one another.
“For me, NCNW represents what happens when Black women come together with a shared purpose,” she said.
From rebuilding a campus organization to representing Hampton at the March on Washington, Maddox is connecting her grandmother’s history, Bethune’s legacy and Hampton’s tradition of service with a new generation of leadership.
And she is bringing 245 Hampton women with her.
About Hampton University
Founded in 1868, Hampton University is one of the nation’s strongest Historically Black Colleges and Universities and a prestigious Carnegie R2-designated research institution. For more than 150 years, Hampton has prepared world-ready leaders of character and consequence through a distinctive educational experience grounded in academic excellence, leadership, innovation, and service.
Home to students from 44 states and 32 countries and territories, the University is nationally recognized for groundbreaking research in atmospheric science, cancer research, cybersecurity, marine and environmental science, and other disciplines that address society’s most pressing challenges. With an annual economic impact of $515 million across the Commonwealth of Virginia, Hampton continues to advance discovery, strengthen communities, and prepare graduates to lead with purpose in an increasingly interconnected world. Learn more at www.hamptonu.edu.
