Feb 25, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Youngkin to request emergency funding for Virginia's HBCUs amid bomb threats

Shawna Chen

Photo of Glenn Youngkin in a suit standing on a podium — Photo: Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) said Friday that he plans to ask the state's General Assembly to provide emergency funding to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for campus security purposes amid bomb threats that have continued for weeks.

The big picture: Dozens of HBCUs have received bomb threats since January, leading multiple campuses to issue shelter-in-place orders or shut down entirely. The FBI is investigating the pattern as "racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism and hate crimes."

Many HBCUs have had to hire additional police officers as a result.

What he's saying: "I am deeply concerned by the recent pattern of bomb threats plaguing [HBCUs]," Youngkin said in a statement.

He added that he has spoken with the presidents of Virginia's HBCUs to discuss the "disturbing repeated threats on their schools" and that he will ask the General Assembly for the funding next week.
"I am committed to harnessing state resources to support these institutions and will work together with them on a continued coordinated response that ensures the safety of our HBCU students and faculty."

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Youngkin to request emergency funding for Virginia's HBCUs amid bomb threats

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