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09/11/2025 — WHAT WE’VE HEARD TODAY: A ROUNDUP OF TRENDING NEWS
At various times throughout the day, multiple historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), were placed on lockdown due to “threats made against HBCUs across the country.
Virginia State University president Makola M. Abdullah addressed the threats made to his campus after lifting the lockdown this afternoon.
“Today, Virginia State University—along with several other Historically Black Colleges and Universities—received a threat intended to disrupt, intimidate, and instill fear in our community. In response, we took immediate action, including a temporary campus lockdown, which has since been lifted with restrictions. Thankfully, no injuries or incidents were reported,” Abdullah said in the written press release.
“Let us be clear: these threats are not random. They are targeted attacks on institutions that have long stood as pillars of excellence, empowerment, and progress. HBCUs exist because we refused to be denied an education—and we thrive because we continue to rise in the face of adversity,” Abdullah continued.
Another Virginia school, Hampton University, and Southern University in Louisiana both announced that campus activities and classes are canceled for today and Sept. 12, including all athletic events and activities.
“The lockdown due to a campus safety threat has been lifted on the Southern University Baton Rouge landmass. Effective immediately, all campus activities and classes are cancelled on Thursday, September 11, Friday, September 12, and through the weekend,” a Southern University spokesperson said in a statement.
The HBCU campus threats happened a day after right-wing influencer and President Donald Trump ally Charlie Kirk was killed on Sept. 10 while speaking on campus during an event at Utah Valley University, a predominantly white school about 40 miles outside of Salt Lake City. The shooter is still at large.
Today, the FBI released images of a white person of interest in Kirk’s shooting.
In a statement to ABC News, the FBI said they’re aware of “hoax threat calls” to several historically Black colleges. “The FBI takes these threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk.”
Other historically Black institutions that didn’t receive threats released public statements to stand in solidarity with those who did, such as Florida A&M University and Howard University.
“At Howard, we denounce all acts of hate designed to foster fear in our communities. Howard stands in solidarity with our fellow HBCUs, and we remain committed to advancing our mission of truth and service,” Howard wrote in a statement.
