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Pastor T.D. Jakes delivered the commencement address at Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia, last Saturday and made a generous contribution to support the institution. At the conclusion of his speech, Jakes announced a $100,000 donation to the college. According to The Potter’s House, the Texas-based church where Jakes serves as lead pastor, this donation could cover over 150 workforce certification exams, helping students gain credentials in high-demand industries.
The ceremony, held at Saint Philip A.M.E. Church, saw 58 graduates cross the stage. Jakes himself received an honorary degree and emphasized the significance of investing in the next generation, connecting Morris Brown’s revival with a larger movement of empowerment and self-determination.
“The surprise announcement underscores a key theme from his commencement address: That legacy is not what we inherit but what we invest forward,” Jakes’ church said in a statement.
This wasn’t the first time that Jake’s philanthropy extended to HBCUs. In November, Texas-based HBCU Paul Quinn College received a $1.5 million grant from the T.D. Jakes Foundation along with Wells Fargo. With this donation, Paul Quinn created innovative campus housing in addition to a mixed-use community development model.
“This is so much more than a traditional real estate project or campus housing development—it’s a statement about what higher education can be for all of us—those who attend our schools and those who do not,” said Dr. Michael J. Sorrell, President of Paul Quinn College. “We are building a city within our campus walls. It will be a community that inspires, innovates, and invests in its people. This will only be possible due to the vision of our partners at T.D. Jakes Foundation and Wells Fargo. And for that, we are incredibly grateful.”
In addition to his housing initiative, the T.D. Jakes Foundation and Wells Fargo donated an additional $236,000 in early 2024 to fund the Corporate Work Program and housing security funds for Paul Quinn.
In the past, Morris Brown has also accepted donations from several others, such as Chick-Fil-A in 2023. A Chick-fil-A in Atlanta, Georgia, donated $500,000 to Morris Brown College to support the development of the next generation of diverse leaders, according to a report by local affiliate WSB-TV. The fast-food chain first partnered with the college in 2021 with an initial $500,000 donation and later matched that donation.
