Morris Brown president fired amid leadership shakeup at historic HBCU
In a move that has stunned the HBCU community, the Morris Brown president fired Dr. Kevin E. James after the Board of Trustees abruptly terminated his contract, triggering widespread concern about governance, timing, and institutional stability at one of the nation’s most closely watched historically Black colleges.
James announced the decision in a public statement posted on LinkedIn, where he said he was removed without specific cause or substantive explanation despite being under contract through 2029 and having recently received strong performance evaluations, adding a layer of urgency and controversy to a transition that comes as Morris Brown prepares for a critical accreditation review that could shape the school’s future.
Morris Brown president fired just as the college prepares for reaccreditation
The decision to remove James comes at a pivotal moment for Morris Brown College, which regained accreditation in 2022 after nearly two decades and restored access to federal financial aid for its students, a turnaround that was widely viewed as one of the most remarkable HBCU comebacks in modern higher education.
Founded in 1881 as Georgia’s first Black-owned and Black-operated college, Morris Brown has long been a symbol of Black educational resilience, and under James’ leadership the school stabilized its finances, achieved clean audits, expanded enrollment to more than 500 students, and rebuilt national credibility, milestones that were frequently highlighted across higher education coverage and within the broader HBCU ecosystem.
With a reaccreditation review now approaching, observers across the Atlanta University Center and beyond are questioning whether such a sudden leadership change could disrupt momentum at a moment when continuity is most critical.
Kevin James’ statement and the Board’s response
After news broke that the Morris Brown president was fired, James released a detailed statement saying the Board terminated him without explanation and in contradiction to both his contract and recent performance reviews, emphasizing that the college had achieved stability, enrollment growth, clean audits, and renewed national visibility during his tenure while successfully navigating the long road back to accreditation.
In contrast, the Board of Trustees issued a statement thanking James for his service and acknowledging his role in guiding the institution through a period of transformation, while simultaneously announcing that longtime trustee and corporate executive Nzinga Shaw would step in as interim president, a move that has left students, alumni, donors, and faculty seeking clarity about the direction of the institution during such a sensitive period, as reported by regional outlets like WSB-TV, FOX 5 Atlanta, and national education media.
What this leadership shakeup means for HBCUs and Morris Brown’s future
The firing of James has reignited broader conversations across the HBCU landscape about board governance, transparency, and the fragility of institutional recoveries, particularly at colleges that are still rebuilding from past financial crises and accreditation losses.
Morris Brown’s resurgence had been closely followed alongside similar HBCU comeback stories, making this leadership rupture especially jarring for supporters who viewed James as a stabilizing force and national advocate for the school’s revival. With an interim president now in place and a reaccreditation decision looming, the future of Morris Brown remains a focal point for students, alumni, and the entire HBCU community, all of whom recognize that the stakes extend far beyond one leadership change and directly into the long-term sustainability of one of Black higher education’s most historic institutions.