By Tramelle Howard
The recent terroristic threats and lockdowns at several historically Black colleges and universities should be a wake-up call for many. These incidents are not isolated; they underscore a rising danger to campus safety, student mental health and institutional stability. HBCUs already operate under financial and infrastructural strain. Adding threats, fear and uncertainty to that burden impacts more than just classrooms; it harms lives, community trust and opportunity.
In Louisiana, we know HBCUs represent far more than places of learning. They cultivate our state’s future teachers, doctors, engineers and public servants. They uplift entire neighborhoods by providing access to higher education for students from low-income backgrounds, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. HBCUs are engines of economic growth, not just through immediate jobs and commerce, but through lifetime earnings and leadership opportunities. Yet chronic underfunding has left many institutions with aging facilities, outdated labs and limited resources for safety, mental health and academic support.
What we see now, from reductions in government grants to cuts in civil rights oversight and overstretched safety protocols, only deepens the long-standing deficits HBCUs have faced. HBCUs deserve more than the bare minimum so they can ensure safe learning environments, modern academic facilities and robust student services. Investing in these institutions is not a favor; it is a necessity for equity, public safety and state prosperity.
I urge Louisiana’s elected officials and our congressional delegation to increase targeted investment in HBCUs, particularly for campus security, student support, STEM facilities and civil rights protections. Alumni, philanthropists, business leaders and everyday citizens should hold our leaders accountable. Our future depends on HBCUs not merely surviving these threats but thriving despite them.
