Meet the Penn State NAACP chapter president working to expand efforts off campus

From a summer internship at the district attorney’s office to becoming president of the Penn State NAACP chapter, junior Lenneya Murray has taken off since leaving home in Brooklyn, New York, in pursuit of a career in criminal law.

The Schreyer Scholar and Paterno Fellow began her collegiate journey with the Learning Edge Academic Program (LEAP) and has since become involved with the Speech and Debate Society and the Mock Trial Association.

But it’s the university’s NAACP chapter where she feels she’s especially making an impact.

As the organization’s current president, she’s focused on leading off-campus community service efforts and fostering relationships with other chapters in the state.

“I’ve dedicated most of my time to NAACP,” Murray said. “It’s a big part of my life now.”

Members of the chapter went on a trip to Washington D.C. for the March on Washington in August, in addition to attending several off-campus events such as State College borough’s National Day of Racial Healing.

The organization has also collaborated with the Red Cross and the State College Alliance Church, in addition to other organizations.

“We’re always looking to have more opportunities to be involved with the community. Our doors are always open for that,” Murray said.

Murray has also been able to connect with NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference Youth President Davis Kazako and college chapters in the state to exchange resources and ideas.

Because Murray is a first-generation student, navigating college life — let alone leading an organization — didn’t come easy. Her father wanted her to get away from the city, so she applied to Penn State “on a whim.”

She’s made the most of it. Murray became a general body member of Penn State’s NAACP college chapter during her freshman year due to her passion for civil rights. As a sophomore, she took on the role of second vice president — a newly created position as of that year.

And her efforts now as a junior, as president, have impressed those around her.

Chapter co-advisor Shannon Holliday lauded Murray as a “down-to-earth” leader who doesn’t “wear her leadership position on her shoulders” and instead prioritizes collaboration and partnership.

“She serves as a beacon of forward movement in that she encourages empowerment among the members,” Holliday said. “They’re welcome to provide her with any ideas that they have. … (She will) facilitate the coordination and the development and execution of the ideas.”

Murray is currently working to prepare members to build on the organization’s success after the current executive board graduates.

“We can do a lot of things this year, and that’ll be a great thing,” Murray said. “But, I feel like part of our responsibility is also to set up a future executive board and the organization as a whole to continue those things.”

Penn State’s NAACP chapter was on “a path of greatness” long before Holliday took on the role of chapter co-advisor alongside Marynes Castillo Espinoza last semester.

The organization’s annual block party is one of many events that play a role in its success by fostering community for Penn State students from minority communities and showcasing rising talent at the university.

The chapter’s Juvenile Justice Chair, Sydney Hamilton, was inspired to join the organization after attending the block party in September of 2022. This was the first event that she felt reflected the culture, interests and identities of a wide range of minority students on campus.

“While NAACP is a predominantly Black organization, it does also account for and care for other minorities, which people forget,” Murray said.

Hamilton came up with the “Globetrotters” theme for this year’s block party as well as the “Gem of the Season: Elegance Unveiled” theme for the Feb. 16 formal event.

The theme was a reimagining of the organization’s annual “All-White Affair,” a formal event with performances and speakers intended to recognize the impacts and talents of students.

“Lenneya has been a really good leader to us. She gives us a lot of creative freedom with the events that we get to do … allowing us to pursue our passions and bring in other (organizations),” Hamilton said.

As an assistant at the Center for Childhood Obesity Research, Hamilton organized a collaboration between the two organizations to discuss the importance of nutrition and how barriers, like food deserts, impact minority communities.

“One of the goals of the chapter is to focus on really expanding the chapter’s footprints in the community as it relates to doing collaborative projects with other nonprofit organizations … to help to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and belonging,” Holliday said.

Hamilton said Penn State’s NAACP chapter has instilled a desire to give back to the community.

“I definitely have found a sense of community at Penn State,” Hamilton said. “I love what our chapter does.”