At least six historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) received threatening communications that forced campus-wide lockdowns and class cancellations on Sept 11. The affected institutions included Alabama State University, Hampton University, Virginia State University, Southern University and A&M College in Louisiana, Clark Atlanta University, and Bethune-Cookman University in Florida. Spelman College also implemented precautionary shelter-in-place protocols due to its proximity to Clark Atlanta University.
The FBI later called these threat calls a “hoax” with no credible threat identified, though the agency emphasized it takes such threats “very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk”. Despite being false alarms, the threats successfully disrupted campus life, canceled classes, and created widespread anxiety among students, faculty, and staff.
These threats represent the continuation of a disturbing pattern targeting HBCUs that has persisted for years. The most significant previous wave occurred in 2022, when HBCUs received nearly 50 bomb threats, with several occurring during Black History Month. That series of attacks prompted federal investigation as racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism and hate crimes.
Since 2022, more than 75 HBCUs have received targeted acts of intimidation across 18 states and Washington D.C., impacting 51 different institutions and disrupting 77 days of classes. This targeting rate is higher than any other category of higher education institutions, according to the United Negro College Fund.
University leaders responded with both defiance and determination. Dr. Makola M. Abdullah, president of Virginia State University said in a letter to the campus community, “Let us be clear: these threats are not random. They are targeted attacks on institutions that have long stood as pillars of excellence, empowerment, and progress. HBCUs exist because we refused to be denied an education—and we thrive because we continue to rise in the face of adversity.”
Abdullah continued, “To those who seek to silence or scare us: we will not be intimidated. For over a century, Virginia State University and other HBCUs have stood as a beacon of knowledge, excellence, and resilience. Today’s events only reaffirm our commitment to providing a safe and empowering environment for our students, faculty, and staff. The greatest revenge is to get an education. Every step you take forward, every class you attend, and every degree you earn is an act of resistance and triumph.”
The HBCU threats occur within the broader context of white supremacist domestic terrorism, which federal agencies have identified as the primary domestic terror threat. White supremacists were responsible for 51 out of 169 domestic terrorist attacks and plots from 2010 through 2021, according to Department of Homeland Security data.
Research shows that White supremacist groups specifically perceive the empowerment of African-Americans and minority communities as threats to white dominance, making HBCUs natural targets for intimidation campaigns. The systematic targeting of Black educational institutions represents an attempt to undermine pillars of African-American achievement and progress.
