Sumter, S.C. (CUBNSC)- “Enter to learn, Depart to Serve.” This motto encapsulates the mission of Morris College. On Monday, July 1st, 2024, Dr. Said Sewell assumed his position as the 11th president of the historically black Morris College. Under the sweltering southern sun, many trustees gathered to welcome the new president, including Rev. Dr. Jamey O. Graham, a 1998 Morris College graduate and the newly elected 18th president of the Baptist Educational and Missionary Convention of South Carolina.
Dr. Sewell addressed those who came to greet him, saying, “As Morris College thrives, so does Sumter County, and the improvement of the state will follow. I am committed to promoting Morris College, raising funds, enhancing our facilities, and making this a better place. I hope you will join me in this effort. I want to thank you all for coming on my first day. As I spoke to my family this morning, they prayed for me, and I said I’m going to people I believe love me. South Carolina is new to me, having spent most of my life in Atlanta, but I am coming to a place with good food and kind people. Thank you all for being here. It's going to be a great journey, and I look forward to walking it with you. Amen.”
Morris College currently offers a diverse range of degree programs. These include a Bachelor of Arts with majors in fields such as Christian Education, Criminal Forensics, Criminal Justice, English, Liberal Studies, Pastoral Ministry, Sociology, and teacher preparation for certification in English and Social Studies.
The college also offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in Mass Communication. Additionally, the Bachelor of Science degree is available with majors in Biology, Business Administration, Cybersecurity, Health Science, Mathematics, Organizational Management, Recreation Administration, and teacher preparation for certification in Biology and Mathematics.
For those interested in education, Morris College provides a Bachelor of Science in Education with majors in Early Childhood and Elementary Education.
Dr. Said Sewell assumes the presidency of Morris College at a critical juncture in South Carolina, marked by significant political opposition to the teaching of Black history and culturally relevant programs. Funding for HBCUs is often neglected, with state resources frequently redirected to predominantly white institutions, such as the University of South Carolina and Clemson University. Despite these challenges, Morris College has remained a vital bastion of education for all.
Dr. Jamey O. Graham spoke, saying, "It is absolutely vital right now that we keep our HBCUs open, especially with the ongoing efforts to erase our history from public schools and textbooks. Maintaining these institutions is crucial for teaching our people about our history and heritage. We need this knowledge to permeate our churches and communities. We are incredibly motivated and ready to see Morris College reach the next level. We fully support this vision and are behind where God is leading Morris College."
A New Chapter in a Long Black History
As the 11th president, Dr. Sewell stands on the shoulders of giants, inheriting a legacy forged by pioneering civil rights leaders. The college's founder, Jacob Javan Durham (April 14, 1849 – December 11, 1920), was an American minister, educator, debater, orator, and a Baptist minister in South Carolina. He founded Morris College in 1908 and was a member of the board at Morehouse College, as well as an officer in state and national Baptist conventions.
Dr. Sewell boasts an impressive background, including serving as the director of the Office of Academics, Research, and Student Success for the Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC). At AUCC, he provided leadership and coordination for the academic affairs, student affairs, and sponsored research divisions of Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College.
Dr. Sewell is the founder, executive director, and chairman of the board of directors for the Center for African American Males: Research, Success, and Leadership Inc., a research and modeling center dedicated to the advancement of African American males.
Morris College's legacy of church work is well known. Its close-knit relationship with the Baptist Educational and Missionary (E&M) Convention is a historic partnership that serves as a springboard for the college's future success. Preserving the Baptist Church is a noble endeavor, and the call to action led by the message of Christ is faithfully upheld at the college. God should be the head of all its efforts, and it is necessary for all stakeholders, trustees, officers, and faculty to recognize this truth as the foundation of the forward-thinking education that students from all walks of life can experience at Morris College.
The current students too are a close-knit community, knowing each other by name and fostering a family-like atmosphere that is unique to the Southern Black experience. This sense of personal attention and familial treatment is particularly attractive to Black students, especially given the harsher disciplinary measures they often face in public schools. Black students in the United States are four times more likely to be suspended than their white peers, leading to negative impacts on their educational and economic outcomes.
Morris College offers Black students a nurturing environment that understands their lived experiences with education in America. The college presents an opportunity for these students to thrive in a setting that cultivates their potential and provides the support they need to succeed.
One does not have to look far to understand what Morris College has to offer. Throughout its history, Morris College has produced ministers, church and community leaders, and business executives who have protected the interests of Black congregations by purchasing land and safeguarding assets for the benefit of Black people. Today, students attending Morris College can appreciate the legacy and gravitas that add real credibility to their diplomas. A diploma from Morris College doesn't just come with SACS accreditation; though it is accredited, it comes with the weight of a history that has affirmed its place, producing ancestors who have left an indelible mark on South Carolina and America through some of the darkest and most formative chapters in our collective history.
Those who have led Morris College—from presidents to administrators, clerks, professional secretaries, researchers, analysts, grant writers, fundraisers, and missionary men and women, along with numerous auxiliaries and churches—have collectively ensured that a diploma from Morris College is worth its weight, paid for with the blood, sweat, and tears of Black people in South Carolina. This degree is invaluable and should attract people worldwide to further the study of African American people, our history, and our culture.
Today, this is a call to action to support HBCUs across America, and Morris College is one such institution.
Trustee Leonard Griffin stated, "The key to our continued operation as Morris College is having students here. With that as our primary focus, we can build recruitment efforts. As we renovate buildings as needed, we will rebuild the stamina and stature of Morris College."
Morris College students are worth the investment, and it is up to the community to ensure their success. Morris College can train them, but it is up to all of us to embrace, love, and support these students. When we do this, we increase the likelihood of retaining them in our communities, where they will become hardworking individuals who buy homes, start families, raise children, create businesses, and continue the legacy.
visit the Morris College website if you have students in your community who would like to speak with a counselor and view the school catalog, or Contact Tia Lawson or Frederick Golden at (803) 934-3200.
Someone is standing by to answer your questions and is excited to help provide opportunities for your student or even for yourself. It's never too late to finish your education, and Morris College is making it possible for people to do just that.
Be sure to follow and share this article!
Javar Juarez is the senior director of the CUBN, an American Businessman, Writer, Community Organizer, Entertainer and Political Consultant. follow us on X Visit our Network Homepage at: CUBNSC.COM
Contact us: News@CUBNSC.COM
Comments