UNCF AND TMCF RELEASE THE FOLLOWING JOINT STATEMENT ON THE RECENT TERRORIST THREATS TO HBCUS AND ON THE FBI BRIEFING TO HBCU COMMUNITY
Washington, D.C., Feb. 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — UNCF (United Negro College Fund) and Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) today issued the following joint statement regarding the recent bomb threats targeting historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs):
“Over the past month, more than two dozen terroristic threats have been called into historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in an apparent attempt to disrupt and, presumably, sow fear in our campus communities. These attempts to intimidate the HBCU community reached an apparent crescendo on Tuesday, Feb. 1 — the first day of Black History Month — when 13 HBCUs were forced to disrupt their normal operations due to coordinated threats posed to their respective campuses.
We are pleased that the federal government has characterized their ongoing investigation into these threats as “threats of terror with the utmost seriousness” and as acts of domestic terrorism during a recent briefing by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Given the federal government’s characterization of these threats, we anticipate and expect that the Justice Department will fully prosecute the individuals responsible for these heinous acts of their authority and we look forward to the swift conclusion of this matter.
Unfortunately, these terrorist acts fall squarely into a recent trendline documented by the Center for Strategic and International Studies that reflects a sharp increase in right-wing extremist attacks and plots in the United States in recent years. HBCUs, as institutions founded for the original purpose of educating and uplifting former slaves and their descendants, have been at the forefront of social and economic justice advocacy for more than 180 years. Our universities’ missions and their historic legacies naturally put them at odds with the enemies of equality which, even in the 21st century, makes our institutions and their students, staff, faculty and administrators an apparent target for extremism. Notwithstanding these attempts to terrorize our community, our HBCUs remain unbroken and unbowed.
The actions of a misguided few will not deter our institutions from fulfilling their collective mission to educate our nation’s next generation of teachers, entrepreneurs and leaders. We are hopeful that congressional, state, community and philanthropic leaders will join with us and offer the support that is needed for us to offer our students the sense of security needed as we move forward with the same sense of resilience we have shown since the founding of the first HBCU in 1837.
Reflecting on these incidents, we are reminded of the words of the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, which still are instructive today,”:
“I wish I could say that racism and prejudice were only distant memories. We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred and the mistrust…We must dissent because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better.”
Dr. Harry L. Williams
President & CEO
Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF)
Dr. Michael L. Lomax
President & CEO
United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
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About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20% of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.
About Thurgood Marshall College Fund
Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include the publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs, and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education space. The organization is also the source of top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs. TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: www.tmcf.org
CONTACT: Monique LeNoir United Negro College Fund, Inc. (UNCF) 202-810-0231 [email protected]
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