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By Daja E. Henry<\/a>, Ila Wilborn<\/a> |The Atlanta Voice<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I<\/span>f you run into a Morris Brown College student or alumnus, there\u2019s one phrase that is bound to escape their lips: \u201cWe\u2019re still here.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Sharron Strickland-White, a Morris Brown alumna and former Miss Morris Brown College (1963), is one of the many Wolverines who proudly hold on to her institution\u2019s legacy.<\/span><\/p>\n Another important aspect of the HBCU is its rich history. <\/span><\/p>\n Morris Brown College was established in 1881, by members of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. <\/span><\/p>\n The institution was named after one of the founders of the AME tradition, Rev. Morris Brown, of Charleston, South Carolina.<\/p>\n Upon receiving its charter in 1885, Morris Brown College opened its doors on October 15, 1885, and at the time, there were nine teachers and 107 students enrolled.<\/span><\/p>\n It was the first school founded for Black people, by Black people, in the state of Georgia. <\/span>The college was founded right in the basement of Big Bethel AME Church, the oldest Black congregation in the heart of Atlanta\u2019s Sweet Auburn neighborhood just shy of downtown. <\/span><\/p>\n At the institution\u2019s peak, it educated as many <\/span>as <\/span>2,500 students.<\/span><\/p>\n However, difficult times would befall Morris Brown when, in 2003, the school lost its accreditation due to issues with money mismanagement. <\/span><\/p>\n The institution was subsequently cut off from federal financial aid. To make matters worse, the institution was forced to withdraw from Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUC), a consortium of Atlanta historically black colleges, which includes Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Spelman College.<\/span><\/p>\n In 2010, Stanley Pritchett Sr. was named Morris Brown\u2019s president, after serving as acting president for two years prior. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe lost our accreditation due to some financial issues,\u201d Pritchett said. \u201c(It was) not due to the curriculum, not due to the faculty, and not due to the qualifications of staff and administration. It was basically because of some mistakes that were made in the financial arena.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n In 2012, the college filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. <\/span><\/p>\n According to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, \u201cA chapter 11 debtor usually proposes a plan of reorganization to keep its business alive and pay creditors over time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Despite its financial issues, Morris Brown College has never closed its doors. During Pritchett\u2019s time as president of the college, Morris Brown\u2019s debt has immensely been reduced. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe had $32 million worth of debt that had been sitting on the books for about eight or nine years,\u201d he explained. \u201cIn 2015, we came out of bankruptcy and had only $3 million worth of indebtedness. And that was to the AME church.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n With its debt nearly eliminated, the college began to seriously look at accreditation as its main priority. <\/span><\/p>\n The school has been working with an independent consultant to file its application. If accepted, the school will receive its accreditation by the end of 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n However, Morris Brown College resides in the shadows of the Atlanta University Center, which is comprised of three of the top liberal arts HBCUs in the country. <\/span><\/p>\n There are countless Facebook fundraisers, such as \u201cCementing the Legacy,\u201d and alumni affinity groups like Women for Morris Brown College Inc., that hold events dedicated to Morris Brown\u2019s cause. <\/span><\/p>\n Syndicated radio host Tom Joyner donated $1 million and even offered to buy the college. <\/span><\/p>\n Joyner\u2019s foundation also worked with Morris Brown College to launch a campaign that proposed to raise $20 million by 2020. <\/span><\/p>\n Though Morris Brown has produced legions of alumni, <\/span>Pritchett said he believes that having a dedicated group of former students that consistently give back to the college is an issue of quality over quantity.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe have a group of about 700 alumni that give close to $1 million a year to Morris Brown College,\u201d said Dr. Pritchett. \u201cThat\u2019s about 6 percent of the college\u2019s 12,000 alumni.\u201d<\/p>\n Pritchett said he hopes to get the alumni giving rate up to 20 percent.<\/p>\n While money is generally an issue for private HBCUs like Morris Brown, the bigger issue lies in carving out a niche that sets the college apart from the HBCUs around it.<\/p>\n What would attract students to a college that is not accredited?<\/p>\n The college offers three academic degree programs: psychology, music, and organizational management and leadership (OML), an adult education program. According to Pritchett, the adult education program is what sets the school apart.<\/p>\n \u201cNot many [institutions] have a program where you can get credit for prior learning,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The program allows nontraditional students who have been in the military or the workforce to get credit for any classes they\u2019ve taken in the past and up to 30 credits for their work experience.<\/p>\n Pritchett projects between 15-40 students will enroll in the OML program this upcoming semester.<\/p>\n Pritchett also revealed plans to start a culinary program and a hospitality program, which he believes will push Morris Brown College to the forefront of adult education.<\/p>\n For the upcoming 2018-2019 academic year, Morris Brown has accepted 25 freshmen and expects to have another 15 returning students.<\/p>\n To connect with the younger crowd of prospective students, Pritchett and his team have enlisted DeVonne McKenzie as coordinator of on-campus recruitment.<\/p>\n It is McKenzie\u2019s personal touch that Pritchett says attracts prospective students and retains the students she has recruited.<\/p>\n The worst appears to be behind Morris Brown College. The institution has eradicated a significant level of debt and appears to be well on its way to once again being an accredited institution.<\/p>\n Alumni and other groups return to the campus often, to participate in events such as the Freshman Induction Ceremony, Homecoming, Juneteenth ceremony, and, last weekend, the Atlanta Greek Picnic.<\/p>\n More than <\/span>1,000 prospective students expressed interest in attending Morris Brown for the upcoming academic year.<\/p>\n Given its rich heritage, and its dedication to once again becoming one of the premier HBCUs in the Atlanta area, Morris Brown College has demonstrated that it is here to stay.<\/p>\n PHOTO: Morris Brown College President Stanley Pritchett Sr. opens up about the status of the once-prominent HBCU and member of the AUC. (Photo: Daja Henry \/ The Atlanta Voice)<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#1c4693″ show_divider=”off” divider_style=”solid” divider_position=”top” hide_on_mobile=”on” disabled_on=”on|on|off” \/][et_pb_team_member name=”DAJA E. HENRY” position=”TEAM AUTHENTIC” image_url=”https:\/\/www.nnpa.org\/chevydtu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/group2_06.png” facebook_url=”https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/daja.henry1″ use_border_color=”off” twitter_url=”https:\/\/twitter.com\/dajaehenry” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial” _builder_version=”3.9″ saved_tabs=”all”]<\/p>\n Daja has been an intern at the Congressional Black Caucus, the New Orleans Tribune and Where Y’at Magazine, a participant in the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Student Multimedia Project, a student at the Universidad Del Mar in Oaxaca, Mexico, and briefly, a crew member at McDonald\u2019s. 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