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Founder’s Day Speaker Praises MBC
by Annette Collins
The treasurer of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church
said, once in awhile in the life of
all institutions, as in a person, it is
good for us to look back over the
land from which we came so that
we might have a better insight as
to where we are going.
Dr. Joseph McKinney, speak
ing at Morris Brown College’s
105 Founder's Day Convocation
on March 12, told a crowd of
approximately 500 students,
alumni, faculty, staff and visitors
in the John H. Lewis gymnasium,
“Morris Broan College has con
tributed much to this nation and
to the leadership of the Atlanta
community."
The Founders Day convoca
tion is an annual event at Morris
Brown, during which the college
reflects on its founding fathers
and principles.
The birth of Morris Brown
College was an outgrowth of the
spirit of Richard Allen, stated
McKinney. "Through (Richard
Allen's) idea of self-help, the
birth of Morris Brown was
among the early attempts of
Negroes in America to make
themselves articulate."
McKinney continued by giv
ing a brief biography of Bishop
Morris Brown, one of the
founders for which the college is
named.
The speaker said Bishop
Morris Brown was born in
Charleston, South Carolina.
Morris Brown organized an
A.M.E. church in Charleston
with a membership of 1500
persons. McKinney said, in 1822,
when Denmark Vessey led a
slave uprising in Charleston, the
authorities in that city deemed it
wise to surpress all assemblies of
free coloreds and slaves, thus
forcing Morris Brown to move to
Philadelphia.
"While in Philadelphia, he
began to associate with Richard
Allen," said McKinney, "Then he
was asked to extend African
Methodism to the states that had
free slaves. He was then elected a
Bishop in the A.M.E. church."
McKinney pressed the fact
that the greatness of Morris
Brown and others has paved a
smoother road for future
generations. "Morris Brown was
a man possessed with the same
philosophy as Stewart Wiley and
Bishop Wesley John Gaines.
These great men made a great
contribution to our society."
"So it is these simple ideas of
these men that made the
difference of where we are
today," he added.
"Greatness in this world is
created by a single thought, an
emotion inside a man," said
McKinney, "everything we see
today made by past generations
was before its appearance, a
thought in the mind of a great
person. A single thought built
the pyramids and caused the
ringing of the Liberty Bell,” he
added.
Reflecting on the single
thought that brought about the
A.M.E. church’s desire to
educate Negroes, McKinney
said, "The African Methodist
Epsicopal Church has been
responsible for educating a large
portion of the Black community
throughout this country. After'
the Civil War, the A.ty.E. church
was responsible for ’beginning
more than 32 centers of learning.
Many of these centers resulted in
colleges. Today we have seven
colleges remaining."
Stressing relevance of Black
colleges nowadays, McKinney
said, "We are today educating
many persons that would not be
able to enroll in other in
stitutions." Giving the statistical
data of the 1985 Fourth Avenue
annual report of minorities in
higher education, he said the
report stated, “Both private and
Black institutions are responsible
for producing a substantial
number of students in the nation
receiving degrees in technical
and non-traditional fields and 50
percent of the degrees in
engineering, mathematics, com
puter science, physical science,
biological science and 30 per
cent of the first professional
degrees."
There is a need for Black
colleges in this society, said
McKinney. Black colleges must
survive and continue to provide
leaders for fhe commyguty and
nation. The speaker said educa
tion is a chief instrument for
racial progress and equality. "We
must prepare our students to get
the best education possible. To
not educate students," he add
ed, "would lead to a form of self
inflicted genocide.”
"A wise man approaches with
a torch to light up the path of
mankind and to light up his own
destiny. We must be a beacon of
hope for our people."
Touching on the recent con
troversy of educating Black
athletes at universities,
McKinney commented, "If a
man is seven feet tall and can
play basketball he looks over
Morris Brown and runs to the
University of Georgia. The Un
iversity of Georgia is a prime
example of this lack of concern.
The large universities use them
for their financial resources and
no concern for their education
and this is a dangerous threat to
our society."
In concluding his speech,
McKinney petitioned black
schools to go out and market
their schools to black students.
"There are more schools
recruiting black students," he
said, "between 1870-1954 very
few blacks had any other option
but the black colleges."
"In order for black schools to
compete they must be about the
business of education, trying to
raise financial resources, trying
to make our schools look better
and make our students proud of
their surroundings. Let’s make
our school not just black schools
but good schools," he said.
McKinney cautioned that the
future cannot be a repetition of
the past. “As the social and
economic conditions change to
meet another agenda so must
our agenda. We must be con
cerned with more than educa
tion. Our deeds must lead to an
ever expanding future. We must
do our part now to build up our
schools. Blacks before us sacrific
ed, blacks now must do the
same. They did what they could
in their time and place,a nd we
Founders’ Day Gifts
Exceed $32,000
Pre-Alumni Council Members
Elected to National Offices
by Annette Collins
Vice-President for Finance,
Mr. Charles Moore reported
over $32,000 in contributions
were submitted at the Founder's
Day Convocation, Mr. Moore
said even though the school has
received these generous gifts
and a recent $750,000 grant from
the institution still is not finan
cially secure.
The combined efforts of
departmental and student
organizations help build the final
figure. "I think the funding
efforts put forth by the students
were encouraging," said Moore.
Awards were given out to the
groups that contributed the
highest amount of money to
Founder's Day.
Receiving a plaque for firsti
place was the International
students, who raised $805. Se
cond and third place awards
were secured by Cochran
Towers with a contribution of
$605 and Borders Towers trailed
closely with a report of $600.
The President's office cap
tured the first place award
among the departmental groups
with $9170. Followed by Alumni
Affairs who raised $6430 and the
Music Department reported
$3000 attribution.
The keynote speaker for the
event was the treasurer of the
African Methodist Episcopal
church, Dr. John McKinney.
Other speakers representing
the A.M.E. church were Bishop
Fredrick H. Talbot, bishop of the
sixth episcopal district and Rev.
McKinney Young, pastor of Big
Bethel A.M.E. and a 1966
graduate of Morris Brown.
Speaking on behalf of Mayor
Young was Ms. Beverly Harvard,
Atlanta’s Deputy Chief of Police,
and a 1972 graduate of Morris
Brown. Clark College's president
Elias Blake brought greetings
from the Atlanta University
Center. Dr. Norris Hogan, 1959
gradnate of MBC, and president
of the National Alumni Associa
tion also brought greetings.
by Karon Ammons
Four members of the Morris
Brown Alumni and Pre-Alumni
Councils, respectively, landed
national offices at the 40th
Annual Conference of the Un
ited Negro College Fund (UNCF)
National Alumni and Pre-Alumni
Councils, according to Mrs.
Eloise Burwell, director of AlDm-
ni Affairs.
The Conference was held Feb.
6 through Feb. 9 in Miami, Fla.
Mrs. Burwell was elected
National Alumni Council Presir
dent; Steven Reid, senior, was
voted National Pre-Alumni
Council President; Joseph Mc
Mahon, sophomore, was ap
pointed Central Regional Direc
tor and Michael Aikens,
sophomore, was appointed
Parliamentarian according to
McMahon.
The Conference capped off a
year of fund raising toward the
goal of $500,000 to be distributed
to the 43 black colleges across
the United States supported by
UNCF funds.
must do what we can in our time
and place. Morris Brown, chart
your course, weigh the cost,
organize your team and put
hope in your everyday action
and the future can be in your
hands."
Dr. Joseph McKinney is an
active member of Ward
Memorial A.M.E. church in
Washington, D.C. As treasurer,
he disburses the Educational
Institutions Fund under the
guidance of the General Con
ference and the General Board.
The keynote speaker was an
honor graduate of North
Carolina A&T University with a
major in electrical engineering,
physics and mathematics.
Currently, he holds membership
in the Board of Directors for
Kittrell College Job Corps
Center, the Board of Trustees of
the Interdenominational
Theological Center, the Gover
ning Boards of the World Coun
cil of Churches, the National
Council of Churches, and the
World Methodist Conference.
"Unfortunately, we fell short
of our goal by raising $460,000,
but our goal for the upcoming
year remains at $500,000," said
McMahon.
While the Councils did not
raise the funds they hoped to,
the conference was still an
enjoyable and informative event
McMahon says.
"The Conference sparked
many new and very good ideas
that will help our school in the
coming year," he said. “It is a
wonderful occasion, mixing
business with pleasure. There
were very important meetings
and workshops and many good
speakers highlighted luncheons
and dinners."
McMahon said that the Con
ference was attended by
representatives from each of the
UNCF supported schools. Brow-
nites that travelled to the Con
ference are: Roosevelt Hudson,
Student Government Associa
tion president: Sylvia Black, Miss
Pre-Alumni 1986-87; Kenna Gar
ner, junior; Bill Barnett,
freshman; Charles Banks,
sophomore; Sandra Rendon,
junior.
Students from the other AU
Center schools were also in
attendance.