Morris Brown College Receives $3 Million From Blank Foundation For Hospitality Program

Written By Quintessa Williams

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and Morris Brown College has announced $3 million toward’s the university’s Hospitality Certificate Program.

The milestone donation will help expand the Atlanta college’s hospitality program in an effort to reach underserved students in Georgia. The Blank Foundation’s grant marks the largest donation to Morris Brown in 20 years.

“I am thrilled about this collaboration with the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, which has a long history of supporting young people, where Morris Brown is situated,” said Dr. Kevin James, President of Morris Brown College.  Morris Brown’s hospitality program currently includes a partnership with Hilton Hotels to provide classroom and training spaces for students. The partnership is a valuable resource for students given the company’s large and diverse portfolio of hotels across Georgia.

The program will not only help students gain skills and connect them to career opportunities, but also help address the labor shortage in the hospitality industry.

“The partnership between Morris Brown College and Hilton Hotels represents a promising model of employer engagement that both trains students and provides strong connections to immediate job opportunities in a thriving industry,” said Daniel Shoy, Jr., Managing Director of Youth Development at Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.

“We believe this investment in the reinvigorated Morris Brown could be a scalable model for other industries and locations.”

The program’s online platform will begin development in early 2024. The first cohort is expected to enroll in Fall 2024 and complete the program by Spring 2025.