ATLANTA (May 3, 2021) – Morris Brown College has teamed up with Chick-fil-A, as the company commits to awarding the college a $500,000 gift to train student leaders. Through the award, students will participate in a leadership development program aimed at preparing them for a career in hospitality and organizational leadership.
The two-year program teaches its participants to learn more about themselves, their coworkers, and business at large before they apply their knowledge in leadership positions.
Dr. Kevin James, President of Morris Brown College said, “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Chick-fil-A, a tenured leader in the restaurant industry. I look forward to Morris Brown being a direct pipeline of diverse leaders within the career fields of hospitality and organizational leadership for organizations like Chick-fil-A. My goal is for Morris Brown to become one of the top institutions in the country for Black and Brown people to learn how to own, operate, lead, and manage restaurants and hotels.”
The partnership with Chick-fil-A comes on the heels of Morris Brown becoming the only historically Black college and university nationwide with both a national hotel chain and hospitality management training program on its campus. A 150-key hotel will be built at Morris Brown to offer two food and beverage outlets, an outdoor terrace, and instructional space for the school’s hospitality students.
Rodney Bullard, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility for Chick-fil-A, Inc. said, “One of our goals is to ensure that every student achieves their full potential. The foremost way in which they do so is through education; Chick-fil-A provides scholarships, educational programs, grants, and more to students throughout the nation. We intend to work with Morris Brown to teach financial literacy, entrepreneurship, leadership, and other skills that will be invaluable in the workplace. Chick-fil-A is proud to support Morris Brown College and their mission to train and develop diverse future leaders.”
About Morris Brown College
Morris Brown College was founded by formerly enslaved religious leaders at Big Bethel AME Church in 1881, and it is the first college in Georgia to be owned and operated by African Americans. The iconic Fountain Hall and the current Morris Brown campus are where Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois wrote The Souls of Black Folk in 1903. Notable alumni include Alberta Williams King, mother of Martin Luther King, Jr., and James Alan McPherson, the first Black writer to win a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
About Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a family owned and privately held restaurant company founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy. Devoted to serving the local communities in which its franchised restaurants operate, and known for its original Chick-fil-A® chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A serves freshly prepared food in more than 2,600 restaurants in 47 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada.
A leader in customer service satisfaction, Chick-fil-A was named top fast food restaurant in Newsweek’s 2019 America’s Best Customer Service report and received several honors in QSR’s 2019 Reader’s Choice Awards, including “The Most Respected Quick-Service Brand” and “Best Brand for Overall Experience”. Additionally, Glassdoor named Chick-fil-A, Inc. one of the top 100 best places to work in 2020. More information on Chick-fil-A is available at www.chick-fil-a.com.
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