Justice For All Stands With HBCUs

We, the following civil society organizations, stand in support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) which have been the target of recent bomb threats, according to news reports.

These vicious acts of racism and violence against predominantly Black colleges and universities must be denounced by all people of conscience. They are important centers of learning where Black and Brown young people go to acquire the education and training they see as a means of surmounting the inequalities that exist in this country must be denounced. HBCU’s were created to give black people their basic human rights to an education which were denied by slavery, and later, by segregation. HBCU’s make up less than 4% of all four-year institutions and over time they have educated 80% of Black judges, 50% of Black lawyers and doctors and 25% of Black science, technology, engineering and math graduates.

At least 20 HBCUs were reported to have been targeted by bomb threats this week, the start of Black History Month. Fascism is on the rise around the world, and a neo-Nazi organization by the name of Atomwaffen committing these act of terror comes as no surprise. White supremacists have a long history of bombing and making bomb threats to terrorize Black communities. .HBCU’s have a long history of receiving physical threats. The students, faculty, staff and neighbors of the following universities and colleges deserve to seek education in a safe environment: Jackson State University, Coppin State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Morgan State University, Alcorn State University, Tougaloo College, Kentucky State University, Fort Valley State University, Xavier University of Louisiana, University of the District of Columbia, Spelman College, Edward Waters University, Howard University, and Southern University and A&M College.

We hope to see a statement of condemnation from all 100 Senators.

We would like these hate-motivated attacks to be systematically tackled by the White House and publicly addressed by the President. Funding disparities faced by public HBCUs should be a top priority for the nation. HBCUs continue to be vulnerable, so we ask for increased federal funding, especially to secure these campuses.

Furthermore, President Biden’s administration has not yet appointed an executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s). We ask for an appointment without delay.

One bomb threat is too many.

The document can be found here: https://forms.gle/xzPE7cZEnrHZN7BbA

Justice For All

University Christian Church

Naheed Fahim Foundation Inc

Tunisian United Network

Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA)

Bangladesh Islamic Society of New England

Islamic Council of New England

Muslim American Society (MAS) Boston

1. https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/03/us/hbcu-bomb-threats-fbi-investigation/index.html
2. Compared to their white counterparts, the nation’s Black land-grant universities have been underfunded by at least $12.8 billion over the last three decades https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2022/02/01/for-hbcus-cheated-out-of-billions-bomb-threats-are-latest-indignity/?sh=e7475cc640ce