(Dallas – January 10, 2008) The Atlanta man, who spent two years in prison for having
consensual sex while a teenager, will attend Morehouse College this spring, thanks to a
gift from The Tom Joyner Foundation, an educational non-profit founded by the
nationally syndicated radio personality.
Genarlow Wilson, who was freed from a Georgia prison last October, will begin classes
as a part-time student at the 140-year-old predominantly male liberal arts college in
Atlanta. The 10-year-old foundation is paying for Wilson’s education, including tuition,
books, and campus room and board.
Wilson is scheduled to appear on the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show,
which airs 6am – 10am EST Thursday morning. The show is also streamed live on
BlackAmericaWeb.com (http://blackamericaweb.com).
“I’m so happy Genarlow has decided to attend an HBCU [Historically Black College &
University],” said Joyner, whose top-ranked morning radio show is aired in 115 markets
reaching nearly eight million listeners. “He’s been through so much over the past couple
years and I’m glad the Foundation can play a role in helping him shape his future. You
know I’m passionate about my black colleges, and I’ve always believed that these
colleges offer a nurturing and confidence-building environment.”
Morehouse President Dr. Robert M. Franklin welcomed Wilson to the campus, known for
distinguished alumni, such as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., filmmaker Spike Lee
and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher.
“Genarlow Wilson is representative of many of our young black men who must overcome
incredible obstacles before finding a place — like Morehouse — where they are valued,
mentored and given the opportunity to reach their full potential,” said Dr. Franklin,
whose college offers more than 26 majors and enrolls nearly 3,000 students. “Given
Morehouse’s 140-year history and tradition of providing access to rigorous academic
preparation, character development, leadership development and public service — we
firmly believe that Morehouse is Genarlow’s ‘house’, and that he will grow to embody
the tenets of a Morehouse Man.”
In 2005, Wilson was convicted of aggravated child molestation for having oral sex with a
15-year-old girl at a 2003 New Year’s Eve party. Wilson was 17 at the time of the party.
He was sentenced to serve a mandatory 10-year sentence with a sex offender designation.
.After a nationwide effort to fight for his release, Wilson was set free last October after
spending two years in prison on the teen sex conviction. The case received international
media attention and garnered support from civil rights leaders, celebrities, business
leaders and politicians, including former President Jimmy Carter and Dallas Mavericks
owner Mark Cuban.
“Yesterday, Genarlow came to my office proudly wearing around his neck his official
Morehouse campus ID,” said B.J. Bernstein, Wilson’s attorney. “To see him replace the
old prison ID badge with a badge from a prestigious HBCU was why Genarlow’s mother
and I fought so hard. This special moment in Genarlow’s life became a reality because of
the Tom Joyner Foundation. Tom’s support of Genarlow’s education … shows he is so
much more than an entertainer or a provocative talker, but a man of quiet and persistent
action. I am forever a fan!”
The Tom Joyner Foundation (www.blackamericaweb.com) has raised more than $55
million and helped 114 colleges and thousands of deserving students who attend HBCUs.
Since its inception, the foundation has assisted every HBCU, which is defined by federal
legislation as “any historically black college or university that was established prior to
1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans.”
For more information, contact Neil Foote at 214.448.3765 or via email at
neil@neilfoote.com.
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