An HBCU that has overcome adversity is reaching back to help high schoolers do the same!
In a heartwarming surprise, Morris Brown College, a historically Black college in Atlanta that overcame losing its accreditation in the early 2000s, has offered full admission to all graduating seniors at Benjamin E. Mays High School, according to Fox5 Atlanta. This generous move aims to expand educational opportunities for the high school’s students, many of whom come from minority backgrounds.
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The offer comes at a crucial time for Benjamin E. Mays High School. While the school boasts a distinguished list of alumni, including Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and NBA players DeAngelo Yancey and Gerald Wilkins, it also faces challenges. PublicSchoolReview.com ranks the school in the bottom 50% of Georgia schools for test scores, and the graduation rate sits at around 71%. Tragedy also struck the school community in February when four students were shot, thankfully surviving, and in May 2023, a student was killed at an unofficial post-graduation party.
Morris Brown College, founded in 1881 as the first educational institution in Georgia owned and operated entirely by African Americans, recognizes the potential in these students. By offering full admission, the college hopes to provide a supportive and enriching environment where Mays High School graduates can thrive. However, to maintain enrollment, students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA.
This partnership between Morris Brown College and Benjamin E. Mays High School signals a commitment to empowering young people from underserved communities. It offers a pathway to higher education and a brighter future for these students, many of whom may not have considered college a viable option before.
Cover Photo: HBCU Morris Brown College Surprises Entire High School Class With College Admission/Benjamin E. Mays High School Class of 2012 Graduation / Photo Credit: March Richardson/Patch