Both houses of Congress on March 8 approved bipartisan resolutions offered by U.S. Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and U.S. Rep. French Hill (R-AR) condemning the recent bomb threats against Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the nation.
The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday approved House Concurrent Resolution 70, which Rep. Hill signed on to as the lead original cosponsor on Feb. 7 with sponsor U.S. Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC). The legislation eventually garnered 113 other cosponsors.
“All four of Arkansas’s HBCUs received bomb threats and at least 24 others have received bomb threats, some multiple times,” said Rep. Hill. “These threats of violence are unacceptable and have no place in our society.”
On the same day, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the identical Senate Resolution 534, which Sen. Scott sponsored on March 3 alongside Sen. Capito and 40 other original cosponsors, including U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE).
“The recent bomb threats against our nation’s HBCUs are vile acts of cowardice and should be met with severe consequences,” said Sen. Scott. “With this resolution, we reaffirm our commitment to fighting hatred and violence wherever they are found, especially on our college campuses. Students should be able to focus on their friends, their social activities, and — most importantly — their education, without having to fear for their safety.”
As a former guidance counselor at West Virginia State, Sen. Capito said, “it’s especially important to me that we strongly condemn these acts of violence and support our HBCUs.”
“Students who attend HBCUs like West Virginia State University and Bluefield State College have the right to feel safe when going to school or working on campus,” she added.
Both resolutions condemn violence and threats of violence against HBCUs and reaffirm the federal government’s commitment to combating violence against HBCU students, faculty and staff, according to the congressional record summaries of the resolutions.
“I thank my friend, Rep. Adams, for joining me in introducing this resolution and my colleagues in the House for their support condemning these threats,” Rep. Hill said following his chamber’s passage of the legislation. “I will continue to support the FBI’s efforts to investigate these threats and bring those responsible to justice.”