It's hard to believe that it's been nearly 20 years since Morris Brown College lost its accreditation after its former president went down for fraud. However, it appears that the iconic Historically Black College might finally be regaining its footing.
On Feb. 25, the Morris Brown board of trustees announced a deal with Hilton Worldwide to build a $30 million hotel on its campus. In addition to the new 150-room hotel, the deal also includes the construction of three new restaurants, and will cause for the destruction of two on-campus buildings.
So, how is this good for Morris Brown? Well according to the school's president, they've negotiated a profit-sharing agreement with the Hilton that will allow for the college to directly benefit from the hotel's income. They've also agreed to a six-figure endowment for student financial aid, as well as a new facility to train students in hospitality management.
“My goal is to become one of the top institutions in the country for Black and Brown people to learn how to own, operate, and manage hotels,” said Dr. Kevin James, who became president of Morris Brown in 2019.
James is hopeful that becoming the only HBCU with both a flagged hotel and a hospitality management training program on-campus, will attract top students interested in the industry, and encourage prospective students to be a part of the "resurrection class".
However, Morris Brown is still missing one major key for its resurrection...accreditation.
In January, members of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools toured the campus. In April, they will vote on whether to make Morris Brown a candidate for accreditation, which would clear the way for the school to receive full accreditation in the next five years.
The new hotel is expected to open in the summer of 2023.