Michael Jordan hasn’t played basketball in nearly two decades, but he did just issue an assist to several Morehouse College students over the weekend.
Jalen Brown was the first to graduate, and his tweet about that went viral over the weekend.
“My name is Jalen Brown and I am the FIRST person to receive a Journalism degree in Morehouse College’s 156-year history,” Brown tweeted on Sunday, accompanying a photo how himself adorned in his graduation cap.
That simple, straightforward tweet, has nearly 14 million views in a day. Many people, including media personality Roland S. Martin were stunned at the proclamation.
“Say what?” Martin tweeted on Sunday afternoon.
Nicole F. Carr, an Emmy-award winning journalist and professor at Morehouse College, confirmed that Brown’s tweet was factual on Twitter. Although Morehouse has produced many prominent journalists, until recently, the Atlanta-based school for men did not grant degrees in journalism. Carr clarified that Morehouse expanded from a Sports Journalism minor into a Journalism in Sports,Culture & Social Justice major in 2021. That was kick-started (or maybe was should say “jump-started” by Michael Jordan.
The program began in 2021 with a one-million dollar gift from MJ and The Jordan Brand as part of their Black Community Commitment.
The Black Community Commitment is an initiative by Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand to directly impact the fight against systemic racism by focusing on social justice, economic justice, and race education and awareness. Morehouse joined the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Ida B. Wells Society in receiving gifts due to their roles in cultivating the Black Experience to the wider public.
“Education is crucial for understanding the Black experience today,” Michael Jordan said at the time of his gift to Morehouse College. “We want to help people understand the truth of our past, and help tell the stories that will shape our future.”
Brown was the first to receive his journalism degree at Morehouse College. But he won’t be the last.