As the idea of educating newly freed slaves became a topic of discussion in the 1860s, another University that was setting its foundation was Morgan State.
To dig deeper into the school’s beginnings, we tapped alumni Joe Clair to give us a quick history lesson. After getting his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Clair went on to host Rap City and solidify himself throughout the entertainment industry as a host, comedian, and radio personality.
It begins with Clair explaining that despite forming the Centenary Biblical Institute on Christmas day in 1866 to train young Black men to work in the church, Morgan State celebrates its Founder’s Day in November because that’s the month in 1867 that all the paperwork was officially filed.
In 1890 the school was renamed Morgan College after Dr. Lyttleton F. Morgan, who was the first chairman of the board of trustees,” explains Clair before delving into the school’s offerings. “The academics one of the biggest things we hang our hate on our engineering program. The choir has been known for generations to travel to the White House and countries all over the globe– just to show you what we do when we get to singing.”
Watch the entire video up top to dig deeper into the history of the HBCU and find out why present-day students are still so attached to Morgan State in the video above.
