HBCUs Eligible for Campus Security Grants Following Wave of Bomb Threats

A U.S. Education Department program will offer grant funding to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to help them bolster campus security in the wake of a wave of bomb threats that targeted the schools.

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to announce the grant opportunity on Wednesday, officially titled the Project School Emergency Response to Violence program.

In addition to financing improvements in campus security, the grant funding will provide mental health resources.

The sudden wave of bomb threats began in late January and continued into February, which is Black History Month. The FBI said in February that it was investigating the threats "as racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism and hate crimes."

Authorities didn't discover any explosives at the threatened schools, but many of the targeted institutions are still weathering the aftershocks of the threats, according to a White House fact sheet announcing the grant program.

"As a result of these threats, learning has been disrupted, critical resources have been diverted to emergency response, and there has been an increased burden on already overwhelmed campus mental health systems," the sheet said.

"HBCU students – already experiencing negative impacts from the pandemic such as lingering effects of illness, trauma, and basic needs insecurities – are now experiencing additional stress and anxiety because of these bomb threats that can negatively affect their academic success."

The announcement noted that it is important to view the threats both in terms of the current situation in the U.S. and the historical significance of HBCUs, which were founded to teach Black students who were prevented from seeking an education elsewhere because of racial discrimination.

"The bomb threats that we witnessed in January, each week in February – Black History Month, and this month are reminiscent of the attempts during the Civil Rights Era to intimidate and provoke fear in Black Americans," the sheet said.

It said the Education Department leaders and officials from other agencies visited HBCU campuses after the wave of bomb threats and heard about the "need to modernize and update their operations, including campus safety and security, as well as the need for more resources to help bolster mental health services due to increased apprehension across the campus community."

The Project School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) is a response to the concerns, the sheet said. The program will provide short-term, immediate funding to local education agencies and the schools that have been threatened.

Each school will typically receive between $50,000 and $150,000.

"These storied institutions have excelled, in the face of discrimination, and their strength and convictions will not be compromised by these violent bomb threats," the sheet said.

Newsweek reached out to Howard University and Albany State University, two of the schools that received bomb threats, for comment.

Update 3/16/22, 10:06 a.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information and background.