Hoax threat calls and lockdowns at US HBCUs expose the fragile promise of safety in higher education

A series of reported threats toward Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the United States on Thursday triggered lockdowns, canceled classes, and heightened security measures.According to the Associated Press (AP), federal authorities confirmed that while no credible threat was identified, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is treating the “hoax threat calls” seriously. No injuries were reported, but the atmosphere of fear was undeniable.Lockdowns were eventually lifted, but the aftershocks lingered. Campuses remained on high alert, reflecting the fragile promise of safety in an era where mass shootings, political violence, and hoax calls have become unsettlingly common.

Learning under lockdown

Southern University in Louisiana reported a “potential threat to campus safety,” locking down its 8,200-student campus for nearly an hour. At Alabama State University in Montgomery, home to about 3,500 students, authorities ordered a shelter-in-place as police searched every building. While an “all-clear” was later issued, classes were cancelled for the day, and students were told to remain in their dormitories.

Clark Atlanta University in Georgia, Virginia State University, Hampton University in Virginia, and Bethune-Cookman University in Florida also confirmed threats. Some universities decided to cancel classes for the rest of the week, sending students home.U.S. Representative Troy Carter, a Louisiana Democrat, condemned the threats as “reprehensible attacks,” telling the Associated Press that “any threat made against HBCUs is a threat against us all.”

Violence, swatting, and overreaction

The timing of these incidents magnified their impact. They came just one day after the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a campus event in Utah and a separate shooting at a Colorado high school.Experts say threats often surge after such events. Don Beeler, chief executive officer of TDR Technology Solutions, which tracks swatting incidents, told AP that heightened reactions were expected: “Anything that happens in the next week is going to get an overreaction than what you normally see.”Some schools that did not receive threats also tightened security. South Carolina State University required all visitors to present a photo ID at entry points. Spelman College in Atlanta issued its own lockdown, citing proximity to a neighboring university that had been targeted.

A familiar cycle

This is not an isolated episode. At the start of the academic year, at least a dozen colleges across the country received hoax calls about active shooters. According to AP, some of those calls even included realistic sound effects of gunfire in the background, forcing campuses into “run, hide, fight” lockdown protocols.The recurring pattern raises questions: How do universities balance vigilance with overreaction? And what does repeated exposure to such threats mean for students who are already navigating academic pressure, financial challenges, and systemic inequities?

Lessons for higher education

Threats against HBCUs must be understood beyond the immediate disruption. They strike at the cultural and historical role these institutions have played in expanding access to education for African American students.

They also spotlight the uneasy reality of higher education in the United States, where learning is increasingly shaped by security drills, lockdowns, and uncertainty.As Carter emphasized, attacks on these institutions reverberate far beyond their campuses. They test not just safety measures, but also the democratic ideal that universities are sanctuaries for free thought and learning.For administrators, students, and policymakers, the lesson is clear: false alarms can cause real damage. The question is whether higher education will find ways to safeguard both physical safety and intellectual freedom, or whether fear itself will become another barrier to learning.