From Rider to the real world: Naa’san Carr
By Jasmine White
From getting his start at the Center of Community and Belonging during his freshman year to chartering the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People at Rider in 2023, Naa’san Carr, ’24, has continued to push for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the world post-graduation.
He has recently been welcomed into the role of community organizer at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice in Newark, New Jersey.
Carr received his bachelor’s degree in public relations and began hands-on work in the field throughout his college career.
He was a part of Black Student Union, Black Men Unified, African Student Association, Haitian Student Association, president of Rider’s NAACP and made history by being the first Black student body president of Rider’s Student Government Association.
“[Being] a student worker for the Center of Community and Belonging all four years … really laid the groundwork,” Carr said. “My campaign [for SGA] was on DEI and focusing on justice and really bringing those core values through my presidency.”
Carr held positions on each organization’s executive board: he was the public relations chair and treasurer for ASA and the public relations chair of BSU, HSA and BMU, while also being inaugural president of NAACP and president of SGA.
“Rider gave me the real world experience [and] has given me so many opportunities through student organizations, through leadership, through academics, and I think just being in a space that’s very diverse at the time that I was going to Rider [with] so many different walks of life and people, that it allowed me to navigate the spaces outside [of campus] to talk to different people,” Carr said.
Even in the very beginning of Carr’s appearance on campus, he dressed in business attire almost everyday, holding himself to high standards to, in turn, exceed standards set forth for Black men in society.
Business and law professor Charles Ray recalled the first time Carr and he crossed paths after Ray delivered a keynote speech at the Multicultural Student Leadership Institute program graduation.
Ray already knew who Carr was because of the consistent remarks of him around campus prior to Carr being announced as the new SGA president.
“We had an opportunity to just tip our hat to each other and from there a very beautiful and low-maintenance relationship developed,” Ray said.
Carr described Ray as a “father figure,” during one of his award acceptance speeches, and this instance stuck with Ray over the years saying how though he does not want kids, but if he had a son, he would want him “to be just like Naa’san Carr.”
Ray said he was honored to write a letter of recommendation for Carr’s current position for the NJISJ, comparing him to a blend of the following “giants in the Black community”: Martin Luther King Jr. for his selflessness, Laurence Fishburne for his stoicism and warmness and Barack Obama for his charisma.
Carr acknowledged how professor Ray was like “an idol” to him, looking up to Ray as someone to be emulated through his career as an attorney and his overall character.
Ray became a faculty advisor for the chapter of NAACP upon becoming acquainted with Carr.
“[Though] I never had him as a professor, the connection between a Black man to a Black man [was just how our bond was],” Carr said. “Just learning from his experience [as an attorney] and how he carried himself … [Ray] is just so revered to me.”
Another mentor Carr met at Rider is the Director of the Equal Opportunity Program, Reggie Walker, who received his doctorate from Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Carr was not a part of EOP, but Walker embraced him as an “honorary member” as Carr described.
Carr began in Walker’s MSLI program, now known as the All Broncs Belong program offered through the CCB, which formed their mentor to mentee relationship. From there, Carr stayed connected with EOP and its events.
“[Walker] has been a mentor of what is possible for me to leave as far as legacy with becoming an alum,” Carr said. “[He] is a continued pillar of why I want to do certain things and continue to pour back into the institution that gave me so much.”
Carr explained how getting involved as soon as possible can make all the difference when it comes to gaining experiences and opening doors for students upon graduation, preparing them for the workforce.
He reflected on how “having faith” is a major driving force to keep pushing for successes.
“If you’re not involved now, please get involved now [and] don’t wait to find a problem and start fixing it,” Carr said. “Rider’s campus is full of opportunities.”
