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Celebrating HBCU Founder’s Day: Morehouse College

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Last but not least, a Black men’s liberal arts college found in Georgia with some notable alumni is Morehouse.

It was founded in 1867 and was initially known as the Augusta Theological Institute before another name change. Still, we’ll let 2011 graduate and award-winning actor Rahmell Peebles talk about his former stomping grounds.

“The school’s name was eventually changed to Morehouse College in 1913 to honor Henry Lyman Morehouse, the corresponding secretary of the American baptist home mission. In addition to graduating, the great Dr. Martin Luther King in 1948, Morehouse is known for being the only male college for Black students in America. In 1994 Morehouse became the first HBCU to generate a Rhodes Scholar in Nima Warfield,” says Peebles.

Warfield was awarded the scholarship in 1994 as an English major– a huge feat some 90 years after the inception of the scholarship, and more than 500,000 HBCU graduates.

“I think Morehouse is a goldmine for Black potential. I don’t think theirs any other space you can be in where you’ll be around nothing but Black men who are on a mission and a journey,” Peebles explained of his HBCU experience. “And I think there’s something in that mystique and particular energy that inspires Black young males. I had big brothers who showed me how to properly manage my time and be disciplined in a way that would encourage consistency.”

Learn more about the illustrious history of Morehouse College in the video above.