Morris Brown president Dr. Kevin James shockingly fired

After leading Morris Brown College for the past seven years, Dr. Kevin E. James has reportedly been fired by the institution. The news, delivered by James via his social media accounts, came as a shock and spread quickly through the online HBCU community.

James’s statement is below:

Greetings Morris Brown College Family,

Today, the Morris Brown College Board of Trustees terminated my service as President without providing specific cause or substantive explanation.

This action is deeply concerning. Research and my lived experience demonstrate that many HBCUs have struggled with board overreach and interference. Unfortunately, those dynamics are evident in this situation.
The timing of this decision is particularly troubling, as the institution is approaching its accreditation reaffirmation review in a few weeks.

Equally concerning is that this action disregards established governance best practices and my existing presidential contract, which extends through 2029. I fully intend to pursue all rights and remedies afforded to me under that agreement.

Also, it is important to note that I recently completed a successful annual evaluation and have received consistently strong performance reviews throughout my seven years of service. Morris Brown College has literally made history under my leadership as President.

I am profoundly proud of the work accomplished during my presidency, including:

• Leading Morris Brown College to become the first HBCU to regain accreditation after nearly 20 years
• Restoring access to Federal Financial Aid
• Growing enrollment from approximately 20 students to more than 540
• Securing national recognition and restoring the College’s visibility and reputation
• Achieving clean financial audits for seven consecutive years
• Establishing long-term financial stability for the institution

I dedicated myself fully to the restoration and resurgence of Morris Brown College, and I stand firmly behind the progress we achieved together.

While I am deeply disappointed by the Board’s decision, I am grateful for the overwhelming support I have received from alumni, faculty, staff, students, and community partners.

Thank you for believing in the vision and the work.

From #TheHardReset to #TheResurgence,

Kevin James
19th President
Morris Brown College 

Brown presided over immense growth for Morris Brown, in which he titled his vision to lead the institution back to prominence “The Hard Reset.” Morris Brown lost its accreditation in 2002 due to financial instability, which led to a decline in enrollment because it could not accept state funds or federal financial aid. James served as interim president in 2019 and officially assumed the role in 2020.

James tenure saw Morris Brown regain its footing as a recognized institution of higher learning, earning accreditation from the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS). He also secured several partnerships and donations for the institution, such as from Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A and a partnerhsip with the hotel chain Hilton. Enrollment also grew to over 300 students.

The move comes as a shock as James signed an extension that allowed him to stay in the position until 2029. The university also recently announced the return of it’s “Marching Wolverine” band amid the start of the Spring semester.

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