By Stacy M. Brown, Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
Another wave of bomb threats has shaken historically Black colleges and universities, with Morgan State University and Towson University in Maryland the latest to be forced into emergency measures on Tuesday.
Towson University evacuated its student union after receiving a threat before 11:30 a.m., while Morgan State cleared its Earl S. Richardson Library as police searched the building floor by floor. The University Union at Towson reopened just before 1 p.m. after investigators determined there was no danger. The threats come as part of a disturbing pattern. In September, Bethune-Cookman University, Southern University, Clark Atlanta University, Alabama State University, Hampton University, Virginia State University, and Spelman College were all targeted. At Spelman, students were ordered to shelter in place, and Morehouse College also issued a similar directive.
Law enforcement officials confirmed the threats against multiple institutions were hoaxes but said they treat each call as credible until investigations are complete. The United Negro College Fund earlier condemned the repeated targeting of HBCUs, noting that more than 75 institutions have faced such threats since 2022, disrupting at least 77 days of classes across 18 states and the District of Columbia. “HBCUs are being targeted at a rate higher than any other category of higher education institutions,” Lodriguez V. Murray, senior vice president for public policy and government affairs at UNCF, stated. Murray urged Congress to dedicate security funding to protect campuses. “No student should ever fear for their life on a college campus,” he stressed.
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus have called on the Justice Department and the FBI to launch a full investigation. Rep. Yvette Clarke of New York, chair of the caucus, called the threats “vile” and “a chilling reminder” of the racism and extremism that continue to target Black communities. Though the all-clear has been given at Towson and Morgan State, the threats represent yet another chapter in a campaign of intimidation against historically Black colleges. “Protecting our children, who represent the future of this nation, is not optional. It is a moral obligation,” Murray argued.
