Kevin E. James has been removed from his position as president of Morris Brown College in Atlanta. According to Dr. James, the historically Black college’s board of trustees did not provide a specific cause or explanation for his termination.
In a recent Facebook post, Dr. James wrote, “This action is deeply concerning. Research and my lived experience demonstrate that many HBCUs have struggled with board overreach and interference. Unfortunately, those dynamics are evident in this situation.”
Dr. James, whose presidential contract was effective through 2029, said he had recently completed a successful annual evaluation and received consistently positive performance reviews throughout his seven-year tenure. Under his leadership, Morris Brown College regained accreditation in 2022. The HBCU has also experienced significant enrollment growth and improved its financial stability.
Nzinga Shaw, a Morris Brown College trustee, has been selected to lead the college on an interim basis. As a trustee, Shaw served as co-chair of the board’s facilities committee. Before Morris Brown College, Shaw was a trustee at historically Black Fisk University in Nashville, where she also taught as an adjunct professor.
Throughout her professional career, Shaw has held several key leadership roles with a variety of large organizations, including service as chief diversity and inclusion officer for Starbucks, as well as the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association.
Shaw holds a bachelor’s degree from historically Black Spelman College in Atlanta and a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Shaw has also received honorary doctorates from LeMoyne Owen College in Memphis and Morris Brown College
