Story by: Olivia Williams
After teetering on the brink of collapse for at least two decades, the historical Morris Brown College has now found a new lifeline. The Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools confirmed the school's candidacy for accreditation this week.
Morris Brown President Dr. Kevin James tweeted out the exciting news on Tuesday.
Established in 1881, the world-famous Atlanta HBCU was a vanguard of knowledge for Black students for decades, enrolling up to 2500 students per school year. However, the college stumbled off its perch by losing its accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 2002.
As sad as it was, the loss of accreditation was merited. The school's then President and Financial Aid Director were willfully embezzling millions in federal aid meant for low income students.
With the admission of guilt, Morris Brown was denied federal financing. From an enrollment of 2500 students, the college dwindled down to a paltry 50 students, and they've been struggling with debt and barely making it ever since.
In February 2021, Morris Brown penned a deal with Hilton Worldwide to construct a $30 million hotel on its campus, three new restaurants, and a new facility to train students in hospitality management. Additionally, the Hilton agreed to provide a six-figure endowment for student financial aid, and created a deal that will allow Morris Brown to share in the profits of the new hotel's income.
This was a huge move for a school that had filed for bankruptcy in 2012 to prevent an impending foreclosure of its campus. Dr. James says he now has a vision of Morris Brown becoming one of the top institutions in the country for Black and Brown students to learn how to own, operate, and manage hotels.
While Morris Brown waits for full accreditation, the school is now up to national standards and is able to apply for federal financial aid. The school is now the first HBCU to regain its accreditation status after losing it for decades. This is a phenomenal achievement considering how many HBCUs have caved due to loss of accreditation.
Now when do we get the Purple Haze Marching Band back?