Multiple HBCUs Place Campuses on Lockdown Amid Threat Reports

Multiple historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the United States, including Alabama State University, Virginia State University, Clark Atlanta University, and Spelman College, were placed on lockdown following a series of threats classified by the FBI as hoaxes but treated with utmost seriousness by authorities. These threats led to canceled classes, shelter-in-place orders, and heightened security measures as institutions acted out of an abundance of caution amidst a broader climate of concern over mass shootings and campus safety. Lockdowns were lifted within hours at most campuses, though some universities continued to cancel classes and maintain increased security. Prominent figures such as U.S. Representative Troy Carter and Reverend Al Sharpton condemned the threats as attacks on the community and called for swift, decisive action to prevent future incidents. These threats come amid a backdrop of rising political violence and prior incidents of racially motivated threats against HBCUs, highlighting ongoing challenges to campus safety and racial justice. Meanwhile, the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis was also on lockdown due to reports of threats, with law enforcement searching the area as a precaution, though no active threat has been confirmed.