HBCU Student Leaders Testify Before House Oversight Committee, FBI Expands Investigations into Bomb Threats
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) across the country have been subjected to numerous bomb threats in recent months, according to federal authorities. At least six HBCUs received bomb threats within the past two weeks, however, the slew of threats began late last year and have steadily persisted.
Investigations began with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Joint Terrorism Task Forces and field offices, in collaboration with HBCU law enforcement leaders. FBI Director Christopher Wray announced more than 30 of the bureau's 56 field offices are currently investigating these bomb threats, pursuing leads nationwide.
Last month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) hosted a virtual symposium last month for HBCUs, providing resources on campus safety and emergency response:
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training (SLATT) program supplied dedicated training and resources to prevent acts of terror;
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) distributed a list of action items following a bomb threat; and,
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Bomb Data Center (USBDC) highlighted strategic information key to investigations.
During a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing last week, several HBCU student leaders spoke of the toll the threats had on the student body, reporting to lawmakers that students had to attend counseling sessions and mental health days to cope.
Kylie Burke, President of the Howard University Student Association, noted the emotional and physical toll of the bomb threats, leaving her peers perpetually on edge in anticipation of the next alert.
“The added stress and in some cases, paranoia, students, faculty and staff have subsequently experienced cannot be understated,” Burke stated, “Acknowledging the weight of anxiety felt on campus after students were repeatedly woken up with safety alerts, sometimes as late as 2 am and 3 am.”
Emmanuel Ukot, Student Association President Xavier University, called on lawmakers and federal authorities to provide increased funding to HBCU institutions for campus safety improvements.
“In a society where racial tensions have reached boiling points in the past two years, acts of aggression like this further feed into the racial discord and friction that can affect the future generation even more than the current one,” Ukot testified, “As our HBCUs strive to develop the next socially responsible leaders, these acts are antithetical to that same mission.”
In response to the bomb threats, the White House announced that it will provide supplemental grants to enhance safety measures at HBCUs that experienced bomb threats in addition to expanding eligibility for through the Project School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) program at the Department of Education. The Biden Administration's HBCU leadership initiative—a federal policymaking effort to eliminate education disparities—also includes regular meetings to share resources to enhance campus security.
“It is important to view these recent and repeated threats through both the lens of the present day as well as our country’s history. HBCUs were founded to educate Black people in an America that refused to accept them as full human beings and prevented them from attending other colleges,” stated Vice President Kamala Harris, a graduate of Howard University, “The bomb threats that we witnessed in January, each week in February—Black History Month, and this month, are reminiscent of the attempts during the Civil Rights Era to intimidate and provoke fear in Black Americans.”