ATLANTA — One of the biggest hip-hop cultural events of the 1990s has found a new home.
“We’re very excited that Morris Brown College will be the host of Freaknik 2020," said Dr. Kevin James, the interim president of the school.
James signed the contract on Monday. He sat down with Carlos Neal, one of the event current organizers, and others to make the announcement during a news conference.
Just last week, Neal told 11Alive they were looking for a new home to hold the event after there were a mix up in the planning. Now they've reached an agreement to have it at Morris Brown.
"Morris Brown College was critically a part of the birth of Freaknik," Jame said.
The legendary event returned for the first time last year, after being on a hiatus for about 19 years.
“Now that we actually have a home again, the biggest thing for us is not just to double down on our community efforts, but really triple down on them," Neal said.
That's where Morris Brown comes into play. They believe this move will help them work towards accreditation.
"We are working to restore the institution," James said. "We’ve been unaccredited for the last 18, 19 years. So our goal is to become a candidate for accreditation this year. I foresee the only thing standing in the way, the major thing standing in the way are the fiscal resources."
"Bringing Freaknik to Morris Brown College is definitely going to help us to raise the dollars needed to become restored," he added.
Neal also said the event will assist the efforts of Sam Tompkins, who owns the Cascade Driving Range.
Tompins said when he retired from the military a few decades ago, he created the program called "Another Way Out" to help children succeed. However, for the last eight to 10 years, resources have been slim. He saw this as an opportunity to continue the work.
“I’m 73 years old but I’m saying, hey, if I can save a few more children who knows I might be able to find somebody to turn the program over to," he said.
This year's event will be held from June 19 through June 21. Details can be found on it's website.
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