In a packed room at North Carolina A&T State University's Williams Cafeteria, students, faculty, staff and community members heard from the a soft-spoken giant from the civil rights movement.

On Friday, Jan. 30, Dr. Diane Nash became the eighth recipient of the Human Rights Medal Award and joined the ranks of others who have received the prestigious award.

Nash's involvement in the fight against social injustices began as a student at Fisk University in 1959 and would carry on through the peak times of the civil rights movements. She served as the chairperson of the student sit-in movement to desegregate lunch counters in Nashville, Tenn. and was one of the founding students of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating committee in 1960.

She was also a coordinator for the Freedom Ride, from Birmingham, Ala. to Jackson, Miss. in 1691 and was a one of 17 freedom fighters that was jailed in Rock Hill, S.C. for civil rights activities. Later, Nash would be appointed by President John F. Kennedy to a national committee that promoted the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. She is known for her work as a stellar organizer and strategist for most of her career.

Nash reminded the students of their responsibility to the future generations.

"We did not know what the end would be," she told the audience, as she reflected on her involvement in the sit-in movement.

"We joined on to what the A&T Four were doing. We loved you, the unborn students...and you should keep in mind that future generation. We are relying on you to do the same," she added.

Her name stretches far across circles and her work has been discussed in numerous books, including: Freedom Riders 1961 and The Struggle for Racial Justice by Raymond Arsenault; Parting the Waters and Pillar of Fire by Taylor Branch, among others. In addition, her work was cited in several television and film documentaries. She appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show , The Spike Lee Film - Four Little Girls Eyes on the Prize.

Nash has received several distinguished awards including the most recent 2008 National Freedom Award and the Distinguished American Award, 2003.

A native and resident of Chicago, Ill., Nash currently lectures at colleges and university across the country and continues to be an activist in civil rights and peace issues.

The Human Rights Medal is awarded annually by N.C. A&T to recognize individuals who have endeavored to correct social injustice and have significantly contribute to the betterment of the world. Designed by local artist and university photographer Charles E. Watkins, the medal features The A&T Four as they appeared as freshmen, a dove with an olive branch in its mouth, and four stools and a torch, all encircled by the name of the university. It was established honor those whose actions have reflected those of Dr. Jibreel Khazan (Ezell Blair Jr.), Dr. Franklin Eugene McCain Sr., Dr. Joseph Alfred McNeil and the late Dr. David Richmond, Jr - most commonly known as the A&T Four. Past recipients have been Lewis A. Brandon, Vincent G. Harding, Rosemarie Freeney Harding, J. Kenneth Lee, Dr. Julius Chambers, Dr. Alvin Blount and Dr. George Harrison Evans.