HBCUs Show Resilience In The Face Of Threats

On February 1, 2022 — the first day of Black History Month — 17 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) received anonymous bomb threats. These threats came on the heels of those that took place the day before and also a few weeks earlier. The threats resulted in institutional closures, disruption of classes, and fear in the among students, faculty, and staff on HBCU campuses throughout the country.

Across social media, HBCU presidents tweeted about bomb threats and campus shut downs, but also about resilience in the midst of these threats. David Wilson, President of Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland tweeted, “We will not be deterred from ‘Growing the Future and Leading the World.’ I’m calling on the FBI to vigorously investigate this threat to our National Treasure, and to our sister HBCUs across the nation.”

Likewise, Wayne Frederick, President of Howard University, in Washington D.C., which has received several threats, tweeted, “We must remember what we have endured & achieved despite the threats against us. It will always be the duty of our community to keep each other safe, so long as we remain united & continue forward, nothing will stop us from achieving our mission.” And, Zachary Faison Jr., President of Edward Waters University in Jacksonville, Florida, tweeted, “The vicious and racially motivated targeting of Florida’s first HBCU is extremely unsettling for our community. Law enforcement is currently investigating this threat and your safety is our paramount concern.”

Threats of violence, and violence itself, have occurred on HBCU campuses since their creation in the late 1800s and early 1900s. According to Heather Williams, author of Self Taught: African American Education in Slavery and Freedom, “There’s a strong connection between literacy and power, between literacy and freedom.” The idea of HBCUs has been seen as a radical act by those who sought to oppress Black people, with HBCU student activists regularly fighting for the freedom to learn and move freely through society.

With increased attention to the quality of an HBCU education, philanthropic contributions from the likes of MacKenzie Scott, and heightened visibility in politics, corporate America, and beyond, HBCUs are also receiving increased attention from those who harbor racist views against African Americans.

On February 2, 2022, the presidents of HBCUs had a conference call with FBI representatives and were told that six “savvy” minors were behind the bomb threats. FBI sources also told The Daily Beast that the individuals were able to mask the threats using complex technology. More specifically, they stated, “This investigation is of the highest priority for the Bureau and involves more than 20 FBI field offices across the country. These threats are being investigated as Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism and hate crimes.”

Although no bombs have been found to date, the threat of bombs will have a lasting impact. As historian and Florida A&M University graduate Ibram X. Kendi tweeted, “I am a product of a HBCU, where I learned how to think and write and be me. It is tearing up my heart seeing all these bomb threats. Our HBCU family is resilient. But we shouldn’t have to be.”