Emma Davis
Emma Davis, a student at the University of Central Arkansas, received a 2020-21 Newman Civic Fellow award.
The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes and supports community-committed students who have demonstrated an investment in finding solutions for challenges facing communities throughout the country. The fellowship provides training and resources that nurture students’ assets and passions to help them develop strategies to achieve social change. Fellows are nominated by their president or chancellor on the basis of their potential for public leadership.
“Emma Davis, a transfer student at the University of Central Arkansas, is a leader for gender and racial equity on our campus and in our state,” said UCA President Houston Davis in his recommendation for Davis. “She has been integral to the civic engagement of her fellow students in expanding voter registration initiatives, voter education events and demonstrations of advocacy and activism.”
Davis, a native of Van Buren, Arkansas, is a sophomore political science major with a minor in legal studies. She is the political action and juvenile justice co-chair for UCA NAACP and is a member of the Feminist Union, Women of Excellence and the Griot Society on campus.
In June 2020, Davis was appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to the Arkansas Law Enforcement Task Force. The appointment comes after Davis and fellow UCA student Layla Holloway organized a protest in Fort Smith in response to the death of George Floyd and police brutality. Over 500 people participated in the protest.
“The Newman Civic Fellowship highlights the importance of activism and engagement to make changes on campus and as a community,” said Davis. “It’s about doing the right thing when it’s hard. It’s about having courage in the face of adversity. That’s what motivates me as a leader. No matter how hard it gets and when it feels like all is lost, we must continue to do what’s right.”
