HBCU Bomb Threats

Dear PACRAO colleagues,
 
We are reaching out today to categorically reaffirm our values as an organization, specifically that we support our Black community in light of the recent increase in bomb threats made at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the nation. While most of the HBCUs are located outside of the region that PACRAO serves, as an organization of professionals that care deeply about equitable access to higher education, it is difficult to watch these terrorist hate crimes perpetrated against institutions serving primarily Black students, particularly during the month in which we celebrate Black History. 
 
The history of HBCUs go back as far as 1837, though the majority of HBCUs proliferated between 1865 and 1900. HBCUs were founded with the intent of offering access to education for Black students when the United States was still largely segregated and opposed to the education of Black Americans. As of 2020, there were just over 100 HBCUs across 19 states, and notable alumni include the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Oprah Winfrey, Thurgood Marshall, and our current Vice President Kamala Harris. HBCUs can boast all of the following, according to the United Negro College Fund:
 

• “though HBCUs make up only three percent of the country’s colleges and universities, they enroll 10% of all African American students and produce almost 20% of all African American graduates”
• “25% of African American graduates with STEM degrees come from HBCUs”
• “HBCU graduate[s] can expect to earn an additional $927,000 in their lifetime, which is 56% more than they could expect to earn without their HBCU degrees or certificates”

 
HBCUs have historically been, and continue to be, an important part of the higher education landscape, not only in its educational programming, but also in how HBCUs offer a learning environment and sense of community that allows Black students to thrive. PACRAO supports the mission of HBCUs and stands by our community of Black students, staff, faculty, colleagues, and friends affected by these racist acts of aggression. Our Black community has a right to safely and equitably access (and work in) higher education without a threat of violence, and we will continue to work towards a world–in our industry and beyond–that can see that. 

Sincerely,

The PACRAO Board and the Diversity Development Committee


References
 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities. (n.d.) National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=667 
 
History of HBCUs. (n.d.). Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Retrieved from https://www.tmcf.org/history-of-hbcus/ 
 
Johnson, G. S., Gray, V., Gray, L. D., Richardson, N. L., Rainey-Brown, S. A., Triplett, K. L., & Bowman, L. E. (2017). Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the Twenty First Century: An Exploratory Case Study Analysis of their Mission. Race, Gender & Class, 24(3–4), 44–67. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26529222 
 
Renkl, M. (2022, February 21). Bomb Threats Are Roiling Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/21/opinion/bomb-threats-black-colleges.html 

The Numbers Don’t Lie: HBCUs Are Changing The College Landscape. (n.d.). The United Negro College Fund. Retrieved from: https://uncf.org/the-latest/the-numbers-dont-lie-hbcus-are-changing-the-college-landscape