Morris Brown College avoids building auction

Morris Brown College is avoiding the auction of one of its building to help pay its debt. The historically black college struggled to keep its doors open recently in the face of a 385-thousand dollar overdue water bill. Courts intervened on the school’s behalf in that matter.

Morris Brown officials say lienholders have given the college a 60-day reprieve to keep the Jordan hall classroom building off the auction block for now.

Morris Brown is recovering from a 2002 embezzlement scandal that brought the institution to the brink of extinction.

Morris Brown Holds Second Rally to Pay Water Bill

Atlanta’s Morris Brown College held a second rally on Saturday to raise money to pay off a $380,000 overdue water bill.

The outstanding bill had threatened to close the school. The city shut off the school's water on Dec. 15 after it failed to make scheduled payments.

The money raised Saturday included a bag full of quarters totaling $100 from 13-year-old Terrence McKenzie, who gave because his mother had gone to the college.

The 127-year-old institution raised over $125,000 in recent weeks through a grassroots campaign seeking donations from the community and across the country.

Morris Brown, a historically black college founded by former slaves, has struggled to stay afloat in recent years and is recovering from a 2002 embezzlement scandal that brought the institution to the brink of extinction.

On Friday, lawyers for Morris Brown successfully petitioned a superior court judge to intervene in the matter, and the city agreed to turn the water back on before classes are scheduled to resume on Jan. 9.

Information from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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Rally held to help keep university doors open

Officials with an Atlanta university hope a weekend rally that raised $60,000 will spur more donations to help the school pay a massive water bill and keep its doors open. The rally in support of Morris Brown College was staged to raise money aimed at paying-off a bill of $380,000 owed the city of Atlanta. Unless that bill is paid in full, the historically black institution will not reopen when classes are scheduled to resume on January 9th. Morris Brown’s president says fundraising rallies will continue for the school, and officials are appealing to Atlanta-based celebrities to pitch-in. A few years ago, the school went through an embezzlement scandal that almost closed the institution.