UNCF Condemns Threats Against HBCUs, Renews Call for Congressional Funding to Secure Campuses
Washington, DC, Sept. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, multiple HBCU campuses received violent threats including bomb and shooting intimidation. These incidents mirror the wave of threats that began on Jan. 1, 2022, with more than 75 HBCUs receiving targeted acts of intimidation, impacting 51 different institutions and 77 days of classes being disrupted.
In recent years, the threats have happened in 18 states and the District of Columbia, in 34 different congressional districts. Unfortunately, today’s events show this pattern continues.
“HBCUs are being targeted at a rate higher than any other category of higher education institutions,” said Lodriguez V. Murray, senior vice president for public policy and government affairs, UNCF. “We urge the Federal Bureau of Investigations (F.B.I.) to be transparent in its investigation of these threats. Since 2022, we have called on Congress to provide dedicated funding in appropriations bills to better protect and fortify HBCUs, and that call is even more urgent today.”
“The federal government’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a program that could benefit HBCUs, but for years and years our institutions have faced repeated barriers in accessing those funds,” Murray continued. “Congress should set aside resources within the Nonprofit Security Grant Program specifically for HBCUs so campuses can enhance security and prepare for these threats. Although the Homeland Security funding bill is already in motion, the relevant Members of Congress on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees must agree to achieve a favorable result for HBCUs before the funding deadlines are imposed. Our students and institutions deserve nothing less.
“No student should ever fear for their life on a college campus. Education must be a place of safety, growth and opportunity. The rise in violent intimidation aimed at HBCUs is unacceptable, and we call on federal leaders to act with urgency. Protecting our children, who represent the future of this nation, is not optional. It is a moral obligation,” Murray said.
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About UNCF
UNCF is one of the nation’s largest and most effective supporters of higher education and serves as a leading advocate for college-bound students. Since its founding in 1944, UNCF has raised more than $6 billion to support students' access to higher education, provide scholarships and strengthen historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Each year, UNCF awards more than 11,000 scholarships totaling more than $62 million. The scholarships support students attending more than 600 US-based colleges and universities including 37 UNCF-member HBCUs. Through its efforts, UNCF has helped generations of students to get to and through college. We believe a college education plays a vital role in fortifying the pipeline of leaders and professionals who contribute to the advancement of our society. Our logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and our widely recognized trademark is, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Instagram.
Roy Betts UNCF 240.703.3384 roy.betts@uncf.org
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