Morris Brown College

Many African American colleges and universities founded during the aftermath of slavery no longer exist today. Most fell victim to a lack of funding and integration, which expanded educational opportunities for blacks.  Others were forced to combine with nearby predominantly white institutions to stay afloat or retain some semblance of their past.

Morris Brown College in Atlanta,  Georgia, established in 1881, is one of those HBCUs holding on by a thread and may be forced to close its doors. The school that once hosted WEB Du Bois is a shell of its former self. The iconic stadium, dorms, and most classroom buildings are no longer in use or dilapidated, like an episode of Life Without People. Its remaining faculty and students number less than a hundred.  In its heyday, it educated future doctors, lawyers, and teachers who would go on to make a contribution to their community.  

The school's downward spiral or descent into oblivion started in the 1990s. First, it faced financial woes, which may have been due to the mismanagement of funds. Things got so bad that it could not pay its water bill. The final blow occurred when MBC lost its accreditation in 2002, and support from the United Negro College fund dried up, forcing nearly all students to flee for greener pastures elsewhere.

The shame surrounding MBC's steep decline is that the black community has lost or is in the process of losing another great institution of higher learning.  Just think about the thousands of young men and women who called it home or found their place in the world, dating back generations.  They studied hard, joined fraternities and sororities,  partied well into the night, played sports, or met their first love.  It was ours, one of our best, where a few die-hard pupils and teachers hung on until the bitter end.

Let's save MBC and others like it in the future. Yes, they are relevant in a society ripping apart.