Daytona Beach’s Bethune-Cookman University was under lockdown until Friday morning, after a threat was placed Thursday against the school. B-CU was one of several historically-Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to receive threats in America on Thursday.
The school on Thursday announced that a ‘potential threat to campus safety’ had necessitated a campus-wide lockdown. All classes were canceled with students being instructed to stay in their dorms and shelter in place. Staff and faculty were told to return home, with those who were able carrying out their work remotely.
A series of threats were placed across the nation to HBCUs, part of what the FBI said was a string of ‘hoax threat calls’. Other affected schools included Alabama State University, Clark Atlanta University in Georgia, Hampton State University in Virginia, Southern University in Louisiana, Spelman College in Georgia, and Virginia State University. Several campuses were also on lockdown as a result.
The threats came just one day after conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while holding a Q&A on-campus at Utah Valley University. The gunman is believed to be 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who was finally arrested on Friday after a two-day manhunt. Kirk’s murder sparked nationwide conversations about free speech and the role of colleges in the broader American political discourse.
Chris Gollon is a Flagler County resident since 2004, as well as a staple of the local independent music scene and avid observer of Central Florida politics, arts, and recreation.
