Statement from URGE on threats causing HBCU lockdowns

Statement from Shante Wolfe, Southeastern State Field Director at URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, on recent threats targeting HBCU campuses triggering lockdowns.

“Today’s news that multiple Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were forced to lock down over terroristic threats is both deeply disturbing and unacceptable.  

No student should have to start their morning wondering if it’s safe to go to class, meet friends, or walk across campus. Yet, for many young people—especially Black and brown students—this fear is all too real. Students at HBCUs are already navigating anti-protest measures, threats from ICE, and rising incidents of campus violence. 

These threats are not isolated—they’re part of a larger pattern that leaves students feeling unsafe in spaces that should nurture and protect them. These incidents are a stark reminder of why we need meaningful gun control, stronger violence prevention, and campus safety policies that protect, rather than punish, Black, Brown and Indigenous students. 

We call on university leadership, state officials, and federal lawmakers to proactively address these threats so that no student has to fear for their life just for showing up to class.”