Key Points:
- Multiple Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) issued lockdowns and canceled classes Thursday after receiving threats.
- The FBI later said the threats were hoax calls, with no credible danger found.
- Lawmakers and civil rights leaders condemned the threats as part of a troubling rise in extremist intimidation.
Campuses Respond to Reported Threats
Several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the United States were forced into lockdown Thursday after receiving reports of potential threats. Alabama State University, Hampton University, Virginia State University, Southern University and A&M College, Bethune-Cookman University, and Clark Atlanta University were among those that suspended classes, restricted campus movement, or ordered students to shelter in place.
The schools issued emergency alerts, urging students and faculty to remain indoors while law enforcement investigated. At Hampton University in Virginia, nonessential activities, including athletic events, were canceled through Friday. Virginia State University told students on Facebook that its lockdown was enacted “out of an abundance of caution.”
Southern University in Louisiana extended its cancellations, suspending classes and activities through the weekend. Bethune-Cookman University in Florida and Clark Atlanta University in Georgia also imposed restrictions, while nearby Spelman College enacted precautionary shelter-in-place measures.
No injuries were reported, and most campuses began lifting restrictions later in the day. Still, some universities asked students to remain cautious, with Alabama State advising continued shelter-in-place orders even after an “all clear” from police.
FBI Investigation and National Reaction
The FBI confirmed Thursday that the threats appeared to be hoax calls, adding that it had no evidence of a credible threat but was continuing to investigate. The agency said such calls are taken seriously because they put “innocent people at risk.”
The threats recalled a February 2022 wave of simultaneous bomb threats targeting more than a dozen HBCUs. Federal intelligence agencies have repeatedly warned of the dangers posed by extremist and domestic hate groups, often directing threats toward Black institutions and communities.
Lawmakers and civil rights leaders swiftly condemned Thursday’s events. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the threats “despicable” and evidence that hateful extremism is “out of control.” The Congressional Black Caucus urged the Justice Department and FBI to act quickly, stressing that Black students should not face fear simply for pursuing high school education.
Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton also weighed in, calling for an end to violence and threats against HBCUs, particularly amid heightened tensions following other recent campus incidents.
The string of threats caused disruption beyond HBCUs, with the U.S. Naval Academy and UMass Boston also briefly locking down in response to unrelated alerts. Stockton University in New Jersey issued a shelter-in-place order after an off-campus shooting, further underscoring heightened anxiety on college campuses nationwide.
While authorities ultimately determined that Thursday’s threats lacked credibility, the incidents left many students shaken. As Hampton University sophomore Kennedy Kyser recalled, her class was thrown into confusion when news of the threat spread. “We went downstairs to a lobby full of distressed students,” she said.
For many HBCUs, the day served as a sobering reminder of their continued vulnerability to threats, both real and false, and the urgent need for strong campus security and federal protection measures.