By April Ryan
In the wake of the credible threats against nine HBCUs on Thursday, the UNCF Condemns Threats Against HBCUs and renews calls for federal government support to protect those historic majority Black schools.
Threatening calls and emails over bombs and shootings were the concern on Thursday. One school found a suspicious person with a gun on campus. It is unknown if that person is linked to the potential danger. The United Negro College Fund, which represents private HBCUs, is requesting the FBI, Congress, and FEMA to help secure the schools. “HBCUs are being targeted at a rate higher than any other category of higher education institutions,” said Lodriguez V. Murray, senior vice president for public policy and government affairs, UNCF. “We urge the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) to be transparent in its investigation of these threats.”
The HBCU advocacy organization also says, “since 2022, we have called on Congress to provide dedicated funding in appropriations bills to better protect and fortify HBCUs, and that call is even more urgent today.” Murray also says, “The federal government’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a program that could benefit HBCUs, but for years and years our institutions have faced repeated barriers in accessing those funds.” The HBCU security funding request is not new. An assessment from 2022-2023 shows 76 threats during that period, with 77 days of school disruption.
Previously, in 2022, the original threats to several HBCUs were delivered by juveniles. Once it hit the press, copycats began to make threats that impacted 51 Historically Black Colleges and Universities. During that threat spike in 2022, online gaming even brought some school threat communications to students. Meanwhile, HBCUs are community-oriented and open. Only one of the 105-plus HBCUs is gated.
Sources close to some of the HBCU threats communicated this threat to Black Press USA
