HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Alabama A & M University is one of many historically black colleges and universities to receive a bomb threat since January 31st.
As a result, HBCUs held a roundtable discussion about the threats, and included in that talk was the controversy over critical race theory in schools.
FOX54 News’s Keneisha Deas sat in on the discussion and has the story.
“These threats are reminiscent of the Civil Rights era. Bomb threats against Black people is an unfortunate part of America’s history,” said Deputy Asst. Secretary for Higher Education Programs, for the U.S. Department of Education, Dr. Michelle Asha Cooper.
“Let me be clear. These acts of intimidation and threats of violence, have absolutely no place in our society and will not be tolerated,” added Cooper.
Young people have been identified as suspects, are and linked to an extremist group called Atomwaffen Divison. HBCU leaders say it’s alarming but show acts like these could be rooted in ignorance.
“I have to throw a red herring here, but the whole notion of what we’re seeing politically in terms of critical race theory, and the denial of many respects across the country of history,” said Edward Waters University President, Dr. A. Zachary Faison, Jr.
FOX54 News also reached out to Alabama A&M University's campus police chief on safety measures.
“It’s just, a sign of the times,” said AAMU Police Chief and Emergency Preparedness Director Montrez Payton.
Payton said Central Dispatch got the alert from HEMSI after the agency received the threat from an unknown caller about bombs placed in certain parts of the campus. He says they immediately connected with the Huntsville Police Department and the FBI.
“We have to make sure we communicate very directly about what’s going on and be very transparent about, and we want them to know this is an extremely safe campus and make sure we have a lot of people who strive to maintain that level of safety here on the hill,” said Payton.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, federal officials, and HBCU leaders say young members of the group Atomwaffen Division, are reportedly responsible for the acts.
Chief Payton has this message to Alabama A&M students:
“We want to make sure that they know we are resilient, and so we wanted to continue to instill that in them even in this type of situation so they can continue to stay focused and do what they need to further their lives.”
Leaders have used this as an opportunity to nurture students who are traumatized, and a way to encourage them to be a voice for their future.
“We talked about their impact on mental health, but then we also talked about some solutions. What they were doing around voting rights if they were registered to vote if they knew where their voting polls were. If they were encouraging people in their community that they’re educated so that when legislation comes up like critical race theory, they’re out there. They’re being that next generation of civil rights leaders that our community is going to need,” said Alcorn State University President, Dr. Felecia Nave.
“We will not be deterred in delivering the quality of education for that upward mobility for our students,” added Nave.
The FBI is investigating these threats as 'racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism and hate crimes'. The penalty for hoax threats is up to five years in federal prison.