During a keynote commencement address for Morris Brown College’s 2025 graduation ceremony, Bishop T.D. Jakes announced that his organization, the T.D. Jakes Foundation, is committing $100,000 to the school.
The philanthropic pledge will go towards supporting the Atlanta college’s “workforce readiness, educational access and institutional resilience,” according to Jakes.
During his speech, Jakes said that the financial gift was a “direct investment in a generation poised to shape the future in the face of adversity.”
Estimates from a release say that the money can potentially help fund “more than 150 workforce certification exams,” which would “equip students with credentials in high-demand fields like hospitality and business.”
Morris Brown College, which was founded in 1881 and serves as the only HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities) in Georgia established entirely by Black people, says that the financial support comes at a time where many HBCUs face financial uncertainty.
According to a release from the Georgia HBCU, the average cost of attendance at a four-year college in America hovers around $27,000 per year, with federal support fluctuating.
Morris Brown College itself faced adversity back in 2002, when it lost its accreditation status.
The liberal arts college went on to make national headlines in 2022, becoming the first ever HBCU to regain its accreditation after a 20-year hiatus.