James November-December 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 50
said. “We’ve partnered with Chickfil-A for our leadership management
development program, where our
students are getting mentored in our
hospitality and business program.
We partner with many organizations— Delta Air Lines, Home Depot,
Amazon, Microsoft, Google and the
like. We’re just excited that folks are
seeing that Morris Brown is a good
ground to pour into financially.”
everyone knows where it is, having
seen the iconic “Jesus Saves” sign
on its steeple directly adjacent to the
I-75-85 Connector just north of I-20.
Seventy percent of its students
are from Georgia and many from
Atlanta. Perhaps surprising is that 20
percent are from California. A lot of
black Californians who want to go to
an HBCU end up at schools across
the South, such as Morris Brown.
The school has always been affordA Connection to Atlanta
able, even for out-of-state students.
The recovery of Morris Brown
And many who might not have
means its connection to the history
otherwise been able to go to college
of Atlanta continues. Big Bethel AME were afforded the opportunity to go
Church was the home church of
to school at Morris Brown College.
Morris Brown when it was founded
The school was a longtime pipeand remains so today, also supportline in the city for educators, CPAs,
ing the school financially as part of
businesspeople and legal minds.
the broader AME congregation and
Hosea Williams is an alumnus—
Georgia district. Morris Brown holds earning his bachelor’s in chemistry
its graduations there as well as its
there. “Morris Brown is a part of the
Founders Day. Longtime Atlantans
fabric of the city of Atlanta along
will know Big Bethel but nearly
with the other schools in the Atlan-
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ta University Center,” said James.
“We were all involved in the civil
rights movement. We’re all involved
in developing the leaders of the civil
rights movement.”
“There would not be a black
middle class without historical
black colleges and universities.
There’s no organization that is close
to how we affect the black middle
class,” said James. “HBCUs are
primarily responsible for educating
almost 20 to 25 percent of African-Americans. And not to mention,
we’re only three percent of all colleges and universities.”
“We’re very proud of these statistics. When people say things like
‘are black colleges still needed?’ it is
a crazy question. It’s because we do
the best. And it’s not an opinion. It’s
been proven time and time again.”
Baker Owens is a staff writer for James and James
Magazine Online.
