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College Campus Building - Daylight
Press Statement February 14, 2022

NAACP DC Demands Justice and Full Accountability for the Wave of Bomb Threats Targeting HBCUs and DCPS

College Campus Building - Daylight

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The NAACP DC Branch demands justice through full accountability, arrests and prosecution of those individuals responsible for the recent bomb threats against Howard University, other HBCUs and several DC public schools. Howard University, several other HBCUs and several District of Columbia Public Schools, including Dunbar, Roosevelt and others, have received multiple bomb threats over recent weeks. 

There is a long history of bombing Black institutions from the Tulsa race massacre of 1921, killing over 300 Blacks, injuring over 800 blacks and leaving over 10,000 homeless, to the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963 killed four young Black girls.  Over the years, there have been countless racially motivated bombings of Black institutions inflicting violence to terrorize the Black community.  These racially motivated bomb threats signify the depths to which racial hatred continues to threaten the destabilization of Black centers for culture, education and empowerment. 

Justice requires full accountability, arrests prosecution and convictions for the individuals responsible for these threatened bomb threats and illegal acts of violence.  This country has a double standard in criminal justice when racial profiling and mandatory minimums target Black and Brown children, while young, white terrorists are granted grace and immunity to make mistakes, perform community service and possibly reform.  Unequal and selective criminal justice enforcement is evident by our government's failure to deploy adequate troops to the January 6th riot led by white extremists, while aggressive violent tactics were deployed against peaceful Black protestors responding to the murder of George Floyd.  White youth or young adults that issued these bomb threats should be held accountable, charged, prosecuted and convicted under the appropriate courts applicable to their age.  Black lives have a right to public safety and it requires full accountability and prosecution and conviction of anyone that issues racially motivated bomb threats and other acts of violence.

The NAACP advocates for Black children's right to quality education, ensuring every child has an opportunity to reach their full potential. Historically, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and public-school funding have been under attack. Howard University is a historic institution, founded in 1867 as a center of higher learning for formerly enslaved people.  Today, Howard University students continue a long legacy of fighting for racial justice and equality.  We encourage and petition for increased support of your local HBCU and DCPS by making donations and advocating for increased resources.   Our commitment is to educate and restore communities while pursuing full justice and accountability.

Akosua Ali, NAACP DC Branch President, stated "Black institutions are the foundation and source of empowering the Black community. These spaces are intended to provide a safe, secure, sacred environment for enrichment and development. HBCUs and public school systems are already underfunded and vulnerable to inadequate resources.  These recent bomb threats are cowardly tactics designed to further intimidate and destabilize the safety and sanctity of institutions nurturing Black and Brown students.  Threats against any Black life, especially our students, demand swift justice.   We cannot allow the double standard enforcement of policing to target Black children, while white terrorists goes unprosecuted and unpunished."

For more information, please email naacp@naacpdc.org   

ABOUT NAACP:

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. The mission of NAACP is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic quality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.

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