On September 11, 2025, multiple HBCUs across the country were forced into lockdown.

Alabama State. Virginia State. Southern University. Hampton. Clark Atlanta. Spelman. Bethune-Cookman.

These schools—rich in history, culture, and academic excellence—were shaken by violent threats, forcing students and faculty to shelter in place, cancel classes, and halt their daily lives.

This is not the first time.

In 2022 and again in 2023 and 2024, threats—often racially motivated—targeted HBCUs with bomb scares and violent messages. No bombs were found, but the trauma and fear left behind were very real.

Now, it’s happening again.

And still, no permanent national plan exists to protect HBCU campuses from being repeatedly terrorized.

We, the undersigned, demand that:

• The Department of Justice and the FBI treat threats against HBCUs as domestic terror incidents until proven otherwise
• Congress allocate dedicated funding to improve HBCU campus security, mental health support, and emergency preparedness
• The Department of Education launch a task force specifically focused on the safety of HBCUs, including threat tracking, public reporting, and long-term response strategies
• All investigations into these threats be swift, transparent, and aggressively prosecuted
   

Our HBCUs are more than just schools. They are sacred institutions—many born out of slavery and segregation—that have launched generations of Black excellence in medicine, education, science, law, and public service.

To threaten them is to threaten an entire legacy of progress.

As the Congressional Black Caucus stated: this is a chilling reminder of the extremism that still targets Black communities in America. But reminders are not enough. We need action.

We call on the U.S. government and law enforcement to protect our HBCUs with the urgency and respect they deserve.