The affected institutions include Alabama State University, Hampton University, Virginia State University, Southern University and A&M College, and Bethune-Cookman University, each implementing immediate security protocols in response to what officials described as credible threats against their campuses.
The ripple effects extended beyond directly threatened schools. Spelman College in Atlanta proactively advised its community to avoid campus and heightened security measures after nearby Clark Atlanta University received a threat. Clark Atlanta's campus police confirmed the threat and issued a shelter-in-place order while working with law enforcement partners.
Virginia State University's emergency response began early Thursday morning, with an "urgent alert" issued at 8:30 a.m. ET declaring campus closure and directing the university community to monitor email communications. University officials emphasized their collaboration with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate the threat's credibility.
Alabama State University characterized the communications it received as "terrorist threats," leading to the immediate suspension of campus operations as a precautionary measure. The institution stressed its coordination with appropriate law enforcement agencies to ensure community safety.
Hampton University extended its response through Friday, canceling classes for September 11 and 12. In their official statement, administrators noted receiving "notice of a potential threat" and immediately ceased all non-essential campus activities.
These latest incidents underscore a troubling pattern affecting HBCU campuses nationwide. The threats represent the continuation of a campaign that has repeatedly targeted these institutions, which serve as cornerstones of Black higher education and cultural heritage.
In 2022 alone, more than two dozen HBCUs across 12 states and Washington, D.C., faced bomb threats, prompting federal authorities to launch investigations treating the incidents as potential hate crimes and acts of violent extremism. The coordinated nature of many threats has raised particular concerns among law enforcement and HBCU leaders.
"We stand in solidarity with the historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) targeted today after violent threats were directed at their campuses," said Dr. Harry L. Williams, President and CEO of Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), which represents public HBCUs. "Unfortunately this has become an all-too common occurrence in recent years, causing disruption, chaos and forcing evacuations and closures. While these criminal incidents are extremely disturbing and temporarily disruptive to our campus communities, HBCUs will not be deterred from their missions of advancing the causes of equity and justice in America."
Beyond threats, several HBCUs have experienced actual violence in recent years. Edward Waters University in Florida confronted a gunman on campus in 2023, though the perpetrator ultimately targeted a nearby Dollar General store, killing three people. More recently, Tuskegee University experienced a deadly shooting in 2024 that left one person dead and 16 others wounded, including students.
Rev. Al Sharpton, the MSNBC host and civil rights activist, condemned Thursday's threats within the broader context of campus violence, saying that educational institutions should serve as spaces for respectful discourse and intellectual growth rather than targets of intimidation or violence.
