House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Congressional Black Caucus (CBU) Chair Yvette C. Clarke on Sept. 11 condemned what they described as “terroristic threats” against Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Several HBCUs in the South reported on Sept. 11 that they were on lockdown or canceled classes due to potential threats.

“The violent threats made today against several Historically Black Colleges and Universities throughout the nation are despicable and yet another indication that the explosion of hateful extremism is out of control,” said Jeffries, who represents the 8th Congressional District in New York, encompassing parts of Brooklyn and Queens. 

“We stand with the students, faculty and communities that have had their peace and safety disrupted,” he added. “I am thankful to local law enforcement for their swift response. 

“The Department of Justice and FBI must thoroughly investigate any potential act of domestic terrorism, and not turn a blind eye when Black college students are apparently being viciously targeted,” the congressman urged. 

“These attempts to intimidate everyday Americans will not stand,” he affirmed. “We need leadership at this moment that brings the country together.”

Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, said the threats made against several HBCUs are “not only vile — they are a chilling reminder of the relentless racism and extremism that continues to target and terrorize Black communities in this country. 

“These terroristic threats, designed to intimidate and foment hatred against everyday Americans — in this case, Black institutions of higher learning — cannot go unchallenged and must not be swept aside,” she told Caribbean Life. “Black students and HBCU communities deserve to be protected.”  

Clarke said CBC “stands in full solidarity with the students, faculty, and staff of HBCUs around our nation, and we remain committed to ensuring their safety and security.” 

She also urged the Department of Justice and the FBI to “act swiftly to fully investigate these threats and pursue the appropriate legal action against those responsible.”

CNN reported on Sept. 11 that Hampton University, Virginia State University, Bethune-Cookman University and Alabama State University were on lockdown after receiving “potential threats to campus safety.” 

The network said the lockdowns came a day after Charlie Kirk, a renowned conservative activist and Trump ally, was fatally shot at a Utah college campus event and on the heels of a series of “active shooter hoaxes at several other college campuses across the nation.” 

Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University in Georgia also received threats, and Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, were “on lockdown but has since lifted it,” CNN said.