Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
On Monday morning, the campus of the Morehouse School of Medicine received some good news. The kind of financial good news that will lead to an expansion of its Atlanta University Center campus.
Georgia Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) secured $950,000 for Morehouse School of Medicine to build an academic and research building. The funding was secured in Fiscal Year 2023 through Community Project Funding.
Williams, an HBCU graduate from Talladega College, said fighting for funding for HBCUs is something she remains dedicated to, in particular during a time when funding for higher education is taking a hit.
“It’s critically important that we are intentional about investing in HBCUs,” she said following the presentation. “I look forward to the rising of this building.”
The presentation took place inside the Calvin Smyre Education Conference Center. There was a rendering of the project, which will be located on Westview Drive and built on what is currently a large parking lot. The project is a direct utilization of existing space on campus.
Morehouse School of Medicine President and CEO Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice introduced Williams and addressed the small crowd gathered for the presentation. Montgomery Rice said health equity is a priority and institutions like the Morehouse School of Medicine are necessary if Atlanta, for example, is to ever reach that lofty goal.
“This is how we meet the needs of our communities,” Montgomery Rice said. “And that’s not just limited to Atlanta, it’s the world.”
Pointing at a large digital screen displaying a rendering of the project, Montgomery Rice said, “What you see behind me is an example of what we believe we need to do our work.”
The project is part of a 10-year campus master plan, according to Montgomery Rice, who joked, “We might have gotten it done in exactly 10 years.”
Williams jokingly interrupted her and chimed in, “But it’s getting done. Every dollar is an investment in a more equitable health care field.”
There are more than a dozen degree programs at the Morehouse College of Medicine. There are only four HBCU medical schools in the country, so investing in the only one in Atlanta can go a long way to serve the city and state, said Williams.
“We are going to actually see the fruits of this labor. Service can’t happen in a vacuum,” Williams said.