Morris Brown College has welcomed Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. back to campus after a hiatus of over 20 years. The Gamma Gamma Chapter officially returned to the HBCU on Sunday night with a ceremony held for the occasion.

Alpha Kappa Alpha is one of many Greek organizations to reopen at Morris Brown College

Alpha Kappa Alpha closed its chapter at Morris Brown College after the HBCU lost its accreditation in 2002. Although it did not have an official presence on campus, the sorority did contribute funding to the college.

In 2022, it donated $100,000 to help fund scholarships and operational needs at Morris Brown. It came just weeks after the HBCU regained its accreditation, according to FOX 5 Atlanta at the time.

On social media, users rejoiced in AKA’s return to campus.

“Congratulations Sorors and the Morris Brown community! This makes my heart smile!” one person commented on Instagram.

“Congratulations to the New Sorors of AKA! Looks like the Grad Chapter came through with their support!” another person wrote.

“The resurrection of Morris Brown gotta be the comeback of the century,” someone else added.

Other Greek organizations were also welcomed back to campus in recent years. Alpha Phi Alpha, which is the oldest Black Greek organization in the country, was the first to reestablish its Iota chapter in November 2023. Then followed the Beta Lambda chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho, the first sorority to return to campus.

“Greek life was the heart of the campus,” Sigma Gamma Rho member Versha Patrick told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

Patrick left the school in 1998 and was the last remaining pledge at the school before it lost its accreditation.

“When they saw us functioning and being visible, it helped tell the story of the school,” she added.

Morris Brown College has also recently welcomed back its choir, fashion club and honor societies. It is hoping to reinstate its Marching Wolverines Band, which was discontinued in 2003. President Kevin E. James said it would require at least a $5 million donation in order to fund a 100-to-200-piece band for three to four years.

“Our band is central to who Morris Brown College is and was,” he said last month, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “When I think of restoring this institution to its former glory, I would be remiss … if I excluded the marching band.”

In 2022, Morris Brown College regained its accreditation after losing it 20 years prior

The HBCU lost its accreditation status in 2002 due to financial mismanagement and regained it in 2022.

The institution, which was founded in 1881, was the first college in Georgia to be owned and operated by Black Americans. As Blavity reported, famous alumni have included Alberta Williams King, the mother of Martin Luther King, Jr., and James Alan McPherson, the first Black writer to win a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

“At HBCUs, there is no conversation about critical race theory, about slavery benefiting Black people. Come to where you are accepted, not tolerated,” James said about the importance of HBCUs in 2022. “That is the strength of HBCUs for our communities.”

In January 2024, Morris Brown College received a $2.9 million federal funding package to help expand its educational curriculum, refurbish campus buildings, and help graduates transition into the workforce, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The HBCU received other donations, such as $3 million awarded by the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation to digitize its hospitality certificate program.

During the college’s 2025 commencement ceremony, Pastor T.D. Jakes announced a $100,000 donation. The contribution was made to fund over 150 workforce certification exams and equip students with credentials in high-demand fields, according to Atlanta News First.

Recent funding and increased student enrollment has marked a turning point for Morris Brown College. When James became president six years ago, there were only 20 students enrolled at the HBCU. In March, there were over 400 students enrolled, according to 11Alive.

“The hard reset is over… we are now stable…and now we’re on to our resurgence,” James told WSB-TV ahead of its homecoming celebrations last month. “We’re taking it to the next level.”