Advocacy Group & Lawmakers Voice Concerns After Bomb Threats Target Maryland's HBCUs
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A civil rights advocacy group is voicing concerns after a wave of bomb threats targeted more than 20 historically Black colleges and universities across the country.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit organization that advocates for minorities and monitors extremist groups' activities, met Tuesday with HBCU presidents to discuss the recent threats.
Representatives for the SPLC said they're concerned about reports that six juveniles who reportedly have ties to a neo-Nazi organization are considered persons of interest in the investigation.
"The SPLC believes this was a racist attack that not only tried to disrupt the start of Black History Month, but the perpetrators, we believe, wanted to send a message that even learning while Black is not safe from hate," said Lecia Brooks, chief of staff and culture for the SPLC.
The first round of threats happened in January. It was followed by two consecutive days of threats targeting several schools, including Bowie State, Coppin State and Morgan State here in Maryland.
The all-clear was given at each of those schools after local, state and federal investigators swept their campuses for signs of explosives.
"I still, low key, don't know what's going on," Morgan State student Caprice Garbutt told WJZ. "So, it's like the fear of the unknown, kind of."
During Tuesday's meeting, a representative for the U.S. Department of Education said federal agencies are working with HBCUs on resources to protect these campuses, such as grant funding and safety guidelines.
The Department of Education also wants to make sure mental health resources are available to students who are worried about the threats.
"We know how important it is to keep the lines of communication open between the federal government and our institution leaders, and we intend to stay in contact until the investigations are complete," said Dr. Michelle Asha Cooper, deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs.
No arrests have been announced yet in connection with the threats targeting Maryland's colleges and universities.
In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and the FBI, Maryland Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin called for a swift Department of Justice response to the threats.
"During the Jim Crow era, white supremacists sought to disrupt civil rights activities and harm and intimidate Black communities through bombings, threats, and other acts of terror and violence against Black schools, churches, and neighborhoods," the lawmakers said.
"The recent spate of bomb threats against our Historically Black Colleges and Universities brings this painful history into sharp focus. We must act with urgency to address these injustices and ensure the safety of our HBCU communities."