Bottoms, who received her undergraduate degree from Florida A&M University, has expressed support for HBCUs throughout her political career. The 60th mayor of Atlanta relayed her message when she spoke at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College in 2018.
"We must continue to enhance and fortify the greatest concentration of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the world, right here in the City of Atlanta, the home of Morehouse, Morehouse School of Medicine, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, Morris Brown and the Interdenominational Theological Center," she said at the address.
The 51-year-old, who recently spoke with Blavity, applauded President Joe Biden for recognizing the influence of HBCUs. She hopes more leaders will speak up for the historic institutions.
“It is going to be an opportunity for leaders across the country to help cultivate leaders of HBCUs," the Atlanta native told Blavity.
Bottoms comes from a long line of HBCU graduates. That includes her mother, who attended Clark Atlanta, then known as Clark College. With her son now entering his second year at Morehouse, Bottoms has considered attending both the FAMU and Morehouse homecomings when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
But the HBCU graduate jokingly adds that her son may be “mortified” by his mom attending homecoming at his school.
