Over $1M In Federal Funding Awarded To Morris Brown College To Support Hospitality Management Program – AfroTech
Morris Brown College has been awarded new funding to support its hospitality management program.
The Historically Black College and University (HBCU) is currently led by Dr. Kevin James, who, in a conversation with Atlanta News First, joked that he had recently taken a five-day vacation. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, in January the college’s Board of Trustees removed James from his post as president “without providing specific cause or substantive explanation,” he said in a post on LinkedIn.
He was reinstated on Jan. 20, 2026, and the board acknowledged that it had not complied with the procedural and contractual requirements outlined in James’ employment agreement, which has him under contract until 2029, according to his post.
“We are back. We are pushing forward, and we’re very, very excited,” James told Atlanta News First.
He aims for the college to become a top institution and describes the school’s era as a “hard reset,” according to the outlet. The college was recently awarded $1.5 million in federal funding to support its hospitality management program, he noted.
James stated Morris Brown College is one of the few institutions offering the degree and the only HBCU in Georgia with the program, according to Atlanta News First.
“It’s much-needed funding to scale our academic profile for our institution,” he expressed to the outlet.
Student Courtney Stanback shared her perspective on the program with Atlanta News First. She described herself as a non-traditional student who went through a major career transition. Morris Brown College was the only institution that treated her like family, she said. She is currently enrolled in the hospitality management program.
“I’m hoping to be able to work in the sports and entertainment space, and Morris Brown is allowing me to learn the hospitality industry from a holistic standpoint and being able to learn everything where it comes to serving the people, serving my community, and how to do so in every way, shape, or form,” Stanback expressed.
The $1.5 million in funding for the program was made possible with the support of Georgia U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, James said.
