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 |  | | | This year marks the 28-year anniversary of the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership. The Center, established by President Walter Massey and originally led by Walter Fluker, Ph.D., was founded with a mission to develop social justice-focused, ethical leaders through its Leadership Studies Program and other initiatives.
Today the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership seeks to extend the legacy of Ambassador Young and expand the footprint of Morehouse into the community and the world. The Center is home to programs designed to inspire and prepare the men of Morehouse to create and implement solutions to social justice challenges and to become global leaders prepared to advance social, economic, and educational equality in the U.S. and abroad.
This issue of the Andrew Young Center Newsletter highlights the Andrew Young Center - Higher Education in Prisons Program [AYC-HEP], including the faculty and student ambassadors who are engaged in the implementation of the Program. The issue also highlights the Center’s November 2024 Civil Rights Study Tour and other recent events. |
| | AYC-Higher Education in Prisons Program Update |
|  | One of the ways that the Andrew Young Center is extending the mission of Morehouse beyond the borders of the heritage campus is the higher education in prisons program [AYC-HEP]. The AYC-HEP Program has been engaged in this work since 2020. Prison education is transformative for the incarcerated students, for faculty who teach the classes, for the men of Morehouse who support our faculty, and it is also a means of transforming carceral spaces. Though by no means a panacea for the problem of mass incarceration in America, higher education in prisons is a means of improving the lives of those who are directly or indirectly impacted by the criminal justice system. Morehouse recently received a congressional appropriation of $1.6 million to expand the AYC-HEP program. |
| | Faculty Teaching Affiliates are Morehouse College faculty members who teach college-level courses and engage in other ways with incarcerated students: |
| Morehouse faculty taught humanities courses and enrichment seminars at three prisons during the fall 2024: Metro Reentry Prison, Burruss Correctional, and the US Federal Correctional Institution [FCI]–formerly the US Federal Penitentiary–in Atlanta. Courses included art history (Professor Masud Olufani @ FCI, Professor Hope Hilton @ Metro), creative writing (Professor Nathaniel Norment), race and law (Professor Winfield Murray), comparative literature (Professor Ruihua Shen), philosophy (Professor Nathan Nobis), entrepreneurship (Professor Rodney Walker), and a BLACK INK INSIDE (Professor Kipton Jensen). Collectively, approximately 100 incarcerated students benefited from college-level classes taught by Morehouse faculty in 2024. Dr. Haakayoo Zoggyie (Department of Foreign Languages) presented a lecture on Black Hispanic Americans and the African Diaspora in America as part of the National Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at FCI-ATL. |
| | Student Ambassadors are Morehouse College students who support higher education in prisons by supporting classroom instruction, serving as peer mentors to incarcerated students, and serving as allies in the community. |
| | This year marks the third year of the AYC-HEP Student Ambassadors Program. Mr. Calvin Bell, ‘24, who served as an HEP ambassador from 2022-2024, described this program as an opportunity for men of Morehouse to gain an understanding of the criminal justice system and positively impact the community as a whole. |
| The co-captains of the 2024/2025 cohort, Mr. Tristan St. John and Mr. Omari Whiting, have led the charge in terms of mandatory training, supporting AYC-HEP Program teaching affiliates inside carceral facilities, volunteering at reentry facilities (e.g., City of Refuge), participating in a mock job fair at FCI, promoting voting rights for formerly incarcerated citizens, serving on panel discussions, supporting the prison library revitalization initiative, peer mentoring, and advocating for prison education on campus. |
| | Incarcerated scholars are committed students who benefit from higher education in myriad ways. |
|  | During fall 2024,12 students at the Federal Correctional Institution completed the Clemente cycle of five humanities courses taught by Morehouse faculty in philosophy, history, literature, creative writing, and art history. This month (January 2025) these students will participate in a ceremony celebrating the completion of these courses. The Clemente courses are accredited by Bard College and transferable as general education credits to participating institutions of higher learning.
The culmination of the semester included a series of one act plays, "ZIP! ZAP! ZOOM!," performed by incarcerated thespians at Burruss Correctional Prison. The play was directed by Wigasi Brant, who is a Morehouse Man. One act plays including scenes from Fences and Death of a Salesman. Mr. Winfield Murray, Esq., is the site supervisor at Burruss.
In fall 2024 a cohort of 28 incarcerated students at the Federal Correctional Institution completed a series of college preparation classes–including a writing boot camp, critical thinking, guest lectures from Morehouse faculty, and a book club. In addition to faculty from Morehouse, this cohort was supported by peer mentors and writing tutors affiliated with the Morehouse Writing Center.
A forthcoming volume of twenty personal narratives written by incarcerated authors at Metro and FCI, Voices of the Voiceless (ed. Norment, Jensen, and Edwards), will be published by Peter Lang Publishers in 2025. |
| | Co-curricular Activities in carceral facilities have strengthened the relationship between Morehouse and the students served and created positive spaces inside carceral facilities that benefit students and others. Sharing lessons learned and outcomes helps the broader community understand the impact and value of higher education in prisons. |
|  | Several of the co-curricular activities implemented this year include the Juneteenth celebration, a basketball game featuring the Morehouse Tigers vs. students, the Correctional Officer Luncheon at Morehouse, Theater at Burruss, Movie Screenings, a Book Club at the Federal Correctional Institution, Enrichment Seminars at Metro, and an Inside/Outside Scholar Mixer.
Over the past four years, the AYC-HEP Program has worked in partnership with Common Good Atlanta. Morehouse joined the national consortium of colleges and universities affiliated with the Bard Prison Initiative in 2024. We are grateful for our working partnership with the Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Justice, and the Georgia Department of Corrections.
Disseminating outcomes and reporting on the importance of higher education in prisons is a key goal of the AYC- HEP Program. In August 2024, Mr. Winfield Murray gave a presentation on Prison Education, “Freeing Minds,” at the UNCF-UNITE Summit). In October 2024, Dr. Kipton Jensen served on a panel at the BPI Consortium Summit on Teaching the Liberal Arts in Prison in Albany, New York. |
| | Civil Rights Study TourNovember 2-3, 2024 |
| History came alive during the Andrew Young Center’s 2024 Civil Rights Study Tour which took place in Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama. During day 1 of the two day tour, Morehouse scholars participated in a walking tour of downtown Birmingham, a visit to the Civil Rights Institute, and a tour of the 16th Street Baptist Church, famous for the 1963 bombing that killed 4 little girls. In Montgomery, Morehouse alumni Mayor Steven Reed and Alabama State Senator Kirk Hatcher joined Morehouse scholars at the Mothers of Gynecology Park where they presented, shared their personal stories, and inspired students to serve. |
| | Day 2 of the Study Tour allowed scholars to travel through time to examine the history of Blacks in America from enslavement to present day. Visiting the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum, Memorial to Peace and Justice, and the newly opened Freedom Monument Sculpture Park provided an intensely moving and informative experience that conveyed the thread of racial oppression and terror that has been ever-present for Africans in America. Ms. Sophia McDonald, an EJI attorney, shared the legal work of the Equal Justice Initiative as they fight for the rights of incarcerated children, incarcerated individuals on Death Row, and work to improve the conditions of incarcerated men and women in the state of Alabama. |
| | | Andrew Young Center Hosts Book Launch Liberation: My Struggle for South Africa as an Exile of America By Thandi Gcabashe |
| | Pictured here, left to right: Nomhle Canca, Sibongile Montgomery, Khanya Warren, daughters of Thandeka Luthuli Gcabashe. |
| The Andrew Young Center hosted a book launch for Liberation: My Struggle for South Africa as an Exile in America (Africa World Press, 2024) by Mrs. Thandi Gcabashe, daughter of South African Nobel Peace Prize laureate Albert Luthuli. The book documents Thandi’s “coming of age in apartheid South Africa, the reasons for her self-exile in the US, and her exhaustive work to liberate her people. In measured manner and without hesitation, she shares her Atlanta-based work with prominent US civil rights leaders, students, universities, local and state elected officials, and religious congregations whom she skillfully organized across a rich diversity of race, income, political affiliations, and faith.” As an opening to the festivities, Mr. Cuba Stellenberg, ‘26, sang the South African National Anthem: Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika. |
| | | Howard Basketball Team Visits Andrew Young CenterNovember 14, 2024 |
| | On Thursday, November 14, 2024, the Howard University Men’s Basketball team visited the Andrew Young Center. The visitors enjoyed an engaging discussion with Professors David Wall Rice, Emani Saucier, and Jann Adams, as well as Morehouse scholars Michael Phillips, Enoch Omotayo, Kenneth Ugo, Colin Royal, and Jackson Greenleaf. Scholars discussed the history of Morehouse College and some of its prominent leaders, current events, their experiences at Morehouse and Howard, as well as their academic endeavors and career aspirations. |
| | Atlanta University Center Passport DayNovember 20, 2024 |
| On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, the Office of International Education (OIE) at Morehouse College hosted a successful AUC Passport Day as part of our International Education Week programming. In partnership with Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, and the U.S. Department of State’s Atlanta Passport Agency, the event was held in Kilgore Plaza and provided students, faculty, and staff from across the Atlanta University Center with a convenient opportunity to apply for their first passports or renew existing ones.
With the support of Delta Airlines, Morehouse students took advantage of the Delta passport reimbursement program ($165), which helps to eliminate financial barriers to global engagement. This collaborative effort among AUC institutions, the Department of State, and Delta Airlines reflects a shared commitment to empowering students, faculty, and staff to pursue international education and global citizenship. The Office of International Education (OIE) encourages students to explore study abroad opportunities, including semester-long and faculty-led programs, and to visit the OIE or attend a Study Abroad 101 session with one of the OIE student ambassadors for more information. |
| |  | | Project Comfort: Oprah Winfrey Scholars Join Honors Scholars Program to Serve CommunityBy Marcellis McQueen, ‘26 |
| This semester I had the honor of participating in Project Comfort, an initiative led by the Morehouse College Honors Program. As a member of the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program (OWSP), I was proud to be part of a project that brought the Morehouse and Spelman communities together for a purpose greater than ourselves: serving those in need in Atlanta’s historic West End.
From October through November, we worked tirelessly to collect donations of essential items such as hygiene products, gloves, hats, tissues, and more. Our Oprah Scholars Program contributed over $2,000, enabling us to purchase care bags, hats, gloves, toothpaste, hand warmers, and other critical supplies. Together, we assembled these items into care packages, each one a small gesture of hope and compassion.
When the time came to distribute the bags, we drove through the West End, meeting people where they were and handing out the care packages directly. For me, this was more than just an act of service—it was a deeply personal and eye-opening experience. As a young Black man, I couldn’t help but think about how many of the faces we encountered resembled the ones I see in my own family and community. These were my brothers and sisters, and their struggles reminded me of the systemic challenges that persist in Black communities.
Project Comfort was transformational in ways I never anticipated. It’s one thing to talk about service in the abstract, but it’s another to see the gratitude in someone’s eyes when you hand them something as simple as a warm hat or a tube of toothpaste. It reminded me of the responsibility we carry as members of institutions like Morehouse and Spelman, which were founded on the principles of service and uplift.
Being part of the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program has taught me that service isn’t just something we do—it’s a way of life. It’s about recognizing the humanity in others and using whatever resources we have to make a difference. Project Comfort reinforced that for me and showed the power of collective action. When we come together as a community, we can do more than just help; we can inspire hope and create change.
In the end, Project Comfort wasn’t just about giving back—it was about standing in solidarity with those who need it most. It was about acknowledging the dignity of every individual and doing our part to uplift our community. For that, I am deeply grateful and more determined than ever to continue this work. |
| Marcellis C. McQueen, ‘26, is an Education Studies major and Communication Studies minor who serves as the president of the Student Ambassador Program. He is a Thurman Honors scholar and Oprah Winfrey scholar. |
| | | | January 20, 2025. OWSP - M.L. King Day of Service. The Andrew Young Center and Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program will host the King Center’s Day of Service on the Morehouse College campus. Oprah Winfrey scholars and other Morehouse students will work alongside community partners to serve the Atlanta community.
February 5, 2025. Founder’s Day Well-Traveled Event. Held in partnership with the Student Government Association, this event will include a $1000 scholarship raffle for a student to participate in a study abroad program with a Morehouse partner. To learn more, contact the Office of International Education at oie@morehouse.edu.
Thursday, February 6, 2025. AUC Passport Day. AUC Passport Day will be held in partnership with Spelman and Clark Atlanta University (CAU) on the campus of CAU. AUC Passport Day will feature representatives from the Atlanta Passport Agency processing passport applications on site.
March 7-16, 2025. The Exploration of the African Diaspora in the United Kingdom study abroad program will visit London, Liverpool, and Manchester, U.K. This unique experience will explore the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the British colonies and examine contemporary issues such as the migration of African and Caribbean populations to the UK between 1948 and 1970, known as the Windrush. Students will learn about key figures in Black British history and current grassroots organizing and activism in the U.K.
March 28-30, 2025. The AYCGL is pleased to host the 2nd African American History and Heritage Study Tour. The study tour will take place in Charleston, South Carolina, and will include visits to numerous historic sites as students learn the history of African Americans from the Transatlantic Slave Trade to the present. Sites include the International African American Museum, the Avery Research Center at the University of Charleston, and the McLeod Plantation. For more information on this opportunity, please reach out to Ms. Marissa Baham marissa.baham@morehouse.edu.
May 18 – June 1, 2025. Oprah Winfrey South Africa Leadership Program. Oprah Winfrey scholars will participate in a transformative experience in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Pilanesberg, and Cape Town, South Africa. Visits to historic sites, universities, and organizations documenting the history of Apartheid and preserving the legacy of the fight for freedom and justice in South Africa will allow students to learn the extraordinary history of colonization, Apartheid, and revolution in South Africa. |
| | |  | The Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership’s video podcast More Conversations was initiated in the fall 2020 and aims to put scholars and subject matter experts in conversation about topics that are important to both the collegiate and broader communities. |
| | | | Jimmy Carter1924-2024 The Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership joins the global community in celebrating the life and legacy of President Jimmy Carter. President Carter’s commitment to service, leadership, civil and human rights serves as an inspiration to the Morehouse College community. |
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| | A Note of Gratitude to Our Sponsors |
| The work of the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors, including The Coca Cola Company, Bank of America, Ms. Oprah Winfrey and the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation, Delta Airlines, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, The Julian Grace Foundation, the Cigna Foundation, and the SMASH Foundation. We wish to thank these donors for their sustained support of the AYCGL. |
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