Advancing the dream of Dr. King

Speak up in the face of injustice, says Paul Pitts, UND’s first Black student body president, at MLK Jr. Day event

Last week, UND welcomed a distinguished alum and Air Force veteran back to campus as part of the University’s celebration of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.

Held in the Memorial Union Ballroom, the event titled “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution” featured 1977 graduate Paul Pitts – UND’s first Black student body president. It was hosted by UND’s Office of Community & Belonging and the Hilyard Center.

In his opening remarks, UND President Andy Armacost spoke both of the progress made as a result of King’s activism, and the importance of continuing to honor the “promissory note” of equal rights for all that King spoke of in his 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech.

“When we think about Dr. King, let’s celebrate the leadership of this amazing human being who brought so much to our society,” Armacost said. “Today is a great day to reflect on the steps we can take individually and as a society, to make sure that we honor those promissory notes and important documents.”

Appearing onstage with Tamba-Kuii Bailey, associate vice president and advisor to the president for community and belonging, Pitts outlined his journey to UND, fielding questions from Bailey along the way.

Throughout the evening, Pitts spoke reverently about King, calling the civil rights leader “an inspiration.” Pitts described the strides the nation has made since his upbringing in Wheeling, W.V., in the early 1950s, where segregation was rampant in education, employment and everyday life.

“When I was born, America was a different country – a different place,” he said. “The first six years of my education were spent at an all-Black school, and they told us that the other schools were better. And over the years, I began to think about that. It wasn’t that those schools were better, we just didn’t have the money or support that the so-called ‘white schools’ had.”

After graduating from high school, Pitts enlisted in the U.S. Air Force – serving eight years of active duty, including a tour during the Vietnam War. While stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base in 1973, Pitts enrolled at UND. He was nearly a decade older than the rest of his freshman cohort.

“I was a 27-, 28-year-old veteran, and a lot of my peers were 17 or 18,” he chuckled.

Pitts said his life experiences and maturity helped him affect positive change immediately upon arriving on campus. A major tenet of his life, he added, is taking action to remedy a problem he has identified – a practice instilled by his family, military career and study of King.

“If you see something, do something – that was my parents’ philosophy, and that’s what they instilled in all nine of us,” Pitts said. “When I was in the military, I saw some injustices – prejudice, discrimination, sexism – and spoke up about it. Even putting my whole career in jeopardy.”

Pitts’ philosophy led him to advocate for more on-campus polling locations, at a time of rising youth participation in politics. In 1975, he was elected student body president — the first Black student in UND history to hold the office.

Pitts’ efforts didn’t end there. He and fellow student government representatives worked with the mayor’s office and then-UND President Tom Clifford to improve campus safety by installing bike lanes on University Avenue.

“We did not let one setback keep our coalition from reaching its goal,” Pitts said.

Pitts’ active role in student government paved the way for his election to the Grand Forks City Council in 1976 — UND’s first student representative to be elected to the body.

At the event’s conclusion, Bailey asked Pitts to assess the present state of King’s vision.

“I cannot sit here and deny that progress has been made – tremendous progress,” Pitts responded. “Educational, employment and housing opportunities were opened to me. But there is still an attitude of injustice and inequality. There are still bridges that have to be crossed, and challenges that linger.”

Pitts added that further progress depends on a citizenry committed to advancing King’s ideals.

“Don’t give up,” he said. “Even when things get dark, and it looks like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. It requires perseverance, commitment and service to others. We got to where we are today because sacrifices were made by people who came before us.”

Four individuals – including Pitts – were awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Award. The award honors members of the campus community who “strive for social change, advocate for diverse students, faculty, and staff and have made a significant impact on our community,” the Hilyard Center’s website states.

Other recipients of the 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Award

• Eric Peterson, assistant director of UND’s Shared Service Center.
• Laurie Kovar, assistant director of operations and training, student finance.
• Malin Sende, undergraduate student at UND.