Atlanta-based tech company Pharaoh’s Conclave (PCX) announced it’s making a $160,000 donation to Morris Brown College.
The funds, provided in conjunction with the Thomas Family Fund, will be used to start the Ronald Floyd Thomas Center for eSports and Innovation. The Center is named in the memory of Ronald Floyd Thomas who graduated from Morris Brown in 2002.
“When my husband, Ronald Floyd Thomas, entered Morris Brown College to complete the work on his degree, he fully embraced becoming a true ‘Brownite.’ … It is in keeping with his commitment to educational opportunity that a program exists to equip this generation of scholars with the skills to excel in STEM and be on the cutting edge of this new technology,” Geri Thomas told Atlanta Daily World.
Ronald’s son, Erich Thomas along with Dr. Jakita Thomas founded PCX in 2017 to maximize diversity in the technology field through education and competitive video gaming.
The firm has earned a reputation of being a leader in diversity in the video game industry and created the first high school state eSports championship in the US.
The company has reached over 10,000 kids nationwide and awarded more than $30,000 in college scholarships. Google recently supported PCX’s mission by donating $100,000 in funding to the group.
The Center at Morris Brown will help bring PCX’s “Cradle to Career” program model to help get HBCU students into the field of eSports and technology.
“It is imperative that we continue the world of creating opportunities that will allow our children to thrive in the generations to come,” PCX co-founder Erich Thomas said.
Morris Brown College President Dr. Kevin James said the college expressed his gratitude for the donation. James acknowledged PCX, the Thomas Family Fund’s efforts solidified Morris Brown as the first “state-approved eSports Performance degree program” in the state of Georgia. “Morris Brown will lead in eSports education and competitive gaming. This gift just catapulted us forward,” he said.
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