U.S. Vice President and HBCU graduate Kamala Harris
“Every American should be able to learn, work, worship, and gather without fear,” said Harris, an HBCU graduate of Howard University. “It is our duty to do everything we can to protect all our communities. A harm against any one of our communities is a harm against all of us. So, our work continues.”
Harris recalled how one year ago, the Atlanta-area shooting killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent. That attack, she said, is a reminder of the “terrible cost of violence, xenophobia, and hate.”
Yet since the start of this year, more than 80 anonymous bomb threats have been made against dozens of HBCUs, places of worship, and other faith-based and academic institutions, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) under the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Starting on February 1, the first day of Black History Month, nearly 20 HBCUs received bomb threats that sparked anxiety on campuses and across the country.
“At the Justice Department, we believe the time to address illegal threats is when they are made, not after tragedy strikes,” said Garland at the press conference. “We all know the threats against HBCUs and their students have deep historical roots.”
He noted that 31 FBI field officers are working to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute the recent threats targeting HBCUs. As the investigation is ongoing, Garland added that he was limited in what he could say about the investigation's progress.
Like Garland, Cardona similarly acknowledged the historical roots of such threats of violence toward HBCUs.
