DeKalb County is 80 percent Black, and has a predominately African-American school board as well as an African-American superintendent. The county is at the center of the largest growth spurt of any Black community in the United States and has outpaced other Georgia counties in "Black buying power."
“Unlike many inner-city areas, poverty does not pervade this school system," he said.
Morris and his family live in DeKalb County's Stone Mountain, and he has collected anecdotal information from neighbors about the county's schools for the past three years. In addition, an American Educational Research Association grant for $15,000 has enabled him to collect preliminary data for the study.
"The preeminent scholar on race in the 20th century, W.E.B. Du Bois, believed it was critical for researchers who study African-American culture, institutions and communities to spend an extended period of time living in African-American communities," noted Morris.
In addition to his research, teaching and service, Morris also has served as president of UGA's Black Faculty and Staff Organization and led efforts to create a senior-level administrative position that focused on diversity and equity, resulting in the creation of the Office of Institutional Diversity.
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