Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Duke Reunites North Carolina’s Armenian Community

Davit Melikian, North Carolina State Chair for the Armenian Assembly of America and a longtime advocate who came to Durham from Gyumri, Armenia, as a child, opened the program with a historical overview of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, grounding the evening in the historical record of the 1.5 million lives lost.

Five students — Nelly Garces, Isabel Khachatryan, Jack Khachatryan, Madison Mikayelyan (Vice President, Armenians at Duke), and Victoria Danielyan (President, NC State Armenian Student Association) — shared their families’ personal stories of survival from the Genocide. Isabel Khachatryan, Jack Khachatryan, and Madison Mikayelyan who recently traveled to Washington, D.C. as part of the Armenian National Committee of America’s Rising Leaders Program, were among four North Carolina students who met with congressional offices to advocate for North Carolina’s Armenian-American community.

Dr. Lisa Gennetian, Pritzker Professor of Early Learning Policy Studies and Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, spoke to the Armenian-American experience and the legacy of resilience carried forward across generations. Raised in Watertown, Massachusetts — one of the earliest Armenian-American settlements in the country — Dr. Gennetian serves as faculty advisor of Armenians at Duke and was instrumental in the organization’s path to university recognition.

Former Congressman David Price, who represented North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District for over three decades and previously served as a professor of political science and public policy at Duke University, delivered the keynote address. Congressman Price led a US Congressional delegation to Armenia in October 2022. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by the Armenian Parliament for his work championing democracy and US–Armenia cooperation. His remarks centered on the enduring importance of advocacy for Armenia in the face of continued threats to the republic’s sovereignty.

The evening concluded with a candlelight vigil and prayer led by Reverend Father Norayr Kazazian, pastor of St. Sarkis Armenian Church of Charlotte, NC, as guests passed flames from candle to candle in a moment of collective remembrance.

Reflecting on the significance of the night, Hovsepian remarked, “In a quieter and less-known pocket of the Armenian diaspora, we must stay united and join in spaces like these to celebrate our existence, remember our past, and advocate for our future.”