Dayonna Smith is a junior at Clark Atlanta University and the chapter leader of Campus Heroes, where she promotes political awareness and community engagement among her peers. With a strong commitment to social issues, she aims to challenge the prevailing narratives at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and encourage open dialogue on diverse political perspectives.
“I was born and raised in Detroit. Family has always been important to me, even though I didn’t have many siblings. My mom instilled in me the value of family and the importance of pursuing everything I want in life. My mom, especially, pushed me to be driven and goal-oriented. Whatever I put my mind to, I’m determined to achieve.
My sister, who is 20 years older than I am, helped raise me. My parents weren’t together even when I was young, so I was raised by a village, so to speak.
I went to Farmington High School, where I did very well. I played basketball on the varsity team for three years, and I’ve always been a good student—always getting good grades. I graduated high school early and went to community college, where I got my pharmacy technician license, which also translated into an associate’s degree in applied sciences. But honestly, school was too easy, and I wasn’t being challenged.
When I visited a family member who attended Clark Atlanta University I fell in love with what I saw. Shortly after that visit, I moved to Georgia and enrolled at Clark Atlanta.
At first, I wanted to be a neurosurgeon, but I realized how much time and money that would take. So, I shifted my focus to pharmacy or nursing because my biochemistry degree would allow me to pursue either path.
When it comes to politics, I don’t like how everything seems to be one side or the other with no middle ground. At HBCUs, the political culture is overwhelmingly Democratic, but that doesn’t always resonate with me. I noticed a lot of students don’t have access to information that’s not geared toward a specific party.
That’s when I started working with Michaela Montgomery to spread political awareness at HBCUs. I wanted to show students that conservative views don’t automatically mean you’re a Republican. It’s important for young people to know there are other options and different ways of thinking.
I’ve noticed that while people can be open-minded about issues, they tend to close off when it comes to candidates. For example, all of Clark Atlanta seems to have endorsed Kamala Harris, and it’s difficult to talk about other candidates like Donald Trump without it being frowned upon. But I believe if we focused on the issues rather than the candidates, people would be more open to different views.
The issues that matter most to me are crime and safety, and the cost of living. Being involved in a criminal justice reform organization opened my eyes to how the system can make or break people.
And, of course, everyone deserves to feel secure in their community. The cost of living has become a big concern for me, especially as I’ve gotten older.
It feels almost impossible for the average person to live comfortably, support their family, and have time for themselves. Coming from Detroit, I’ve seen how hard it can be for people to manage, and it’s something I care deeply about.
In leading this Campus Heroes chapter at Clark Atlanta, I want to spread political awareness and share unbiased information. I want to help people see that there’s more than just “this or that,” and that you can have conservative views as a Black woman, a Black man, or a minority, and those views are still valid.
One experience that really opened my eyes was when I had dinner with former President Trump at Mar-a-Lago. The setting was beautiful, but what stood out to me was how different he seemed in person compared to how he’s portrayed in the media.
He took a genuine interest in our lives as students and asked for our thoughts on how he could better support us as President. He even mentioned the funding he had directed to HBCUs. It was a side of him I hadn’t expected, and it showed me that things aren’t always as black and white as they seem.”
