Vice President Kamala Harris has announced that HBCUs are eligible for grants following bomb threats made against them, ABC News reports.
The Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV) initiative, under the umbrella of the Department of Education, seeks to provide resources for mental health and bolster campus security with short-term, immediate funding for institutions that have experienced a “violent or traumatic incident.”
HBCUs could receive grants ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 which will be determined based on the school's specific needs.
Harris “will make clear that every American should be able to learn, work, worship, and gather without fear," a White House official told ABC News.
"Threats to the education and well-being of Black Americans and HBCUs are an unfortunate part of American history," the press release read. "The bomb threats that we witnessed in January, each week in February—Black History Month, and this month are reminiscent of the attempts during the Civil Rights Era to intimidate and provoke fear in Black Americans."
As EBONY previously reported, since the beginning of January several HBCUs received bomb threats that have prompted lockdowns and evacuations. The threats were investigated by local and state police, the ATF and the FBI.
The Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona along with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas met with over 40 HBCU leaders on strategies to strengthen campus security.
According to the FBI, the bomb threats to HBCUs coincided with the hate crimes against Black Americans are on the rise, increasing by nearly 50% between 2019 and 2020,
