Threats Force Multiple HBCUs Across Southern U.S. to Lock Down, Cancel Classes By Christina Coulter

Several historically Black colleges and universities were forced to shut down Thursday after facing a wave of threats.

Alabama State University, Hampton University, Virginia State University, Southern University & A&M College (Baton Rouge), Bethune-Cookman University, Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College and Morehouse School of Medicine all enacted emergency measures by midday on Sept. 11, including lockdowns, shelter-in-place orders and class cancellations.

Several Atlanta campuses later rescinded precautionary orders, but many remained on heightened alert while investigators assessed the threats.

Alabama State posted on Instagram that it had suspended all campus activities after what the university described as a “terroristic threat,” directing residential students to shelter in place; an all-clear was issued later in the day.

Hampton University’s newsroom said the school had “ceased all non-essential activity,” cancelling classes and campus events for Thursday and Friday and urging the community to limit movement.

Virginia State released two statements: the first placed the campus on lockdown and canceled classes, the second lifted the lockdown while restricting access to ID holders only.

In Baton Rouge, Southern University said its campus was on lockdown following a threat. The order was later lifted, but university officials canceled activities through the weekend as a precaution.

Bethune-Cookman used its official Facebook and Instagram accounts to tell students to return to dorms and shelter in place; local outlets later confirmed the campus closure and canceled classes.

In Atlanta, Clark Atlanta announced a shelter-in-place “as a precautionary measure” before clearing the campus later the same afternoon, per Fox 5 Atlanta, Atlanta News First and the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Nearby Spelman and Morehouse enacted similar advisories tied to the Clark Atlanta situation, per the outlets; those advisories were also lifted after sweeps.

Morris Brown and Morehouse School of Medicine briefly ordered shelter-in-place directives alongside AUC neighbors, then rescinded them.

Students reacted with anger and fear. “I definitely do think we stick out more as a target,” Hampton sophomore Amirah Woodruff told WTKR.

“It definitely does feel like we have a target on our back right now,” Woodruff said, adding she suspected the timing was linked to the high-profile shooting of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk on Wednesday; authorities have not announced any connection.

University officials said they were coordinating with local, state and federal law enforcement, running sweeps and threat assessments while moving some operations online and keeping communities informed via official channels. Administrators urged students, faculty and staff to follow university social posts and public-safety updates for the latest instructions.