ReportWire

Tag: Historically Black Colleges And Universities

  • 1 dead, 6 injured in homecoming shooting at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania

    A man is dead and six others were injured in a shooting during a homecoming celebration at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania Saturday night, the Chester County district attorney said.

    District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said one person who had a gun has since been detained.

    Jujuan Jeffers, 20, of Wilmington, Delaware, died in the shooting, de Barrena-Sarobe said during a press conference Sunday.

    One current Lincoln student is among the wounded, as well as one graduate of the school. The other people injured are not directly connected to the university, the DA said. All of the victims are 20 to 25 years old and are expected to survive.

    The shooting happened in the parking lot of the International Cultural Center (ICC) building just before 9:30 p.m., where a post-football game celebratory tailgate and Yardfest event was being held, Lincoln University Police Chief Marc Partee said during a press conference early Sunday morning.

    “This was to be a joyous occasion,” Partee said. “Homecoming — when individuals come back, and they give back to their alma mater, and they live the good memories of their time at Lincoln University, which has helped them propel into life. This was interrupted by gunfire that should not have occurred.”

    At this time, it’s still unclear what led up to the shooting and why shots were fired. The school was placed on lockdown, but that was later lifted.

    “Today, we’re operating as if this is not an incident where someone came in with the design to inflict mass damage on a college campus,” de Barrena-Sarobe said during the news conference.

    Investigators believe there were multiple shooters, but there is no clear threat to the campus at this time, de Barrena-Sarobe said.

    In a statement posted Sunday afternoon on social media, Lincoln University President Brenda A. Allen’s office said the school is cooperating with authorities.

    “As this remains an ongoing investigation, details may evolve over the next several days,” the post says. “We will continue to keep the Lincoln University community informed of any major updates as they become available.”

    Classes are canceled Monday “for a day of healing and reflection,” but the school will remain open with staff on campus to support students, the statement says. The president’s office also invited the campus community to gather at noon on Monday in the Historic District for a moment of connection and healing. 

    Counseling services will be available all week for students, faculty and staff, the post says. 

    Lincoln University is on Baltimore Pike in southern Chester County, about 45 miles from Philadelphia.

    1 arrested in connection with Lincoln University shooting

    Zecqueous Morgan-Thompson, of Wilmington, Delaware, was arrested for carrying a concealed firearm without a license and is being held at Chester County Prison on $25,000 cash bail, de Barrena-Sarobe said, adding that he could not confirm whether the gun he had was used in the shooting.

    As of 5 p.m. Sunday, the scene remained active, de Barrena-Sarobe said, and investigators are conducting a grid search of the area and working with K9s to gather evidence. They are also interviewing people and reviewing video evidence, he said.

    “Stitching together videos is going to be a key part of this investigation,” de Barrena-Sarobe said.

    “Devastating” night in southern Chester County, DA says

    Law enforcement described a chaotic scene where people fled in every direction after shots were fired. People were seen running for cover, and several others were being treated after they were knocked to the ground and trampled, officials said.

    CBS News Philadelphia spoke to a witness who said he saw one person receiving CPR.

    Tents were set up in the ICC parking lot for the tailgating event, designed for people to come together, reconnect and celebrate Lincoln University. De Barrena-Sarobe said the ICC is also where the Lincoln University Police Department is housed.

    “This mass shooting should never have happened,” the district attorney said.

    “We are concerned for our students who had to experience this, our alumni who had to experience this, and our visitors and friends,” Partee said. “We set this out to be a time to celebrate the legacy of Lincoln University, the first historically Black, HBCU in the country. So, devastated, if there was another word to describe that, that’s more impactful, I would use it, but devastated is a start.”

    The Chester County DA said officials are continuing to monitor all the victims and are investigating the shooting with the full power of federal, state and local law enforcement. 

    Following the shooting, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said on X, “I’ve been briefed on the shooting at Lincoln University tonight, and my Administration has offered our full support to President Allen and local law enforcement. Please avoid the area, continue to follow the guidance of local law enforcement, and join Lori and me in praying for the Lincoln University community.”

    Lincoln community processes a tragedy

    People who were on campus said the tragedy has been difficult to process. 

    “The last thing you think about is something as tragic as this occurring when you’re just here for a good time and having fun,” Joslyn Royster, who graduated from Lincoln in 2015, said.

    When the shooting happened, a nearby bowling alley went into lockdown and soon became a staging area for first responders. Workers said they stayed until 2 a.m. to offer coffee, food and a place to warm up. 

    “It was hard to sleep that night. I always see it in the movies or on screen, but seeing it happen right in front of my eyes definitely puts a whole different perspective on things,” Rocco Saienni, a shift supervisor at Timber Wolfe Lanes, said.

    A plea for tips

    De Barrena-Sarobe urged anyone with any information about the shooting to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or share it online. Digital evidence will be key in this investigation so law enforcement can hold the shooter or shooters accountable, officials said.

    “Because we are going to not stop until we are able to arrest and to find the person or people that shot all of these people at Lincoln University,” he said.

    The Chester County detectives are leading the investigation. The FBI is assisting.

    Scott Jacobson,

    Jon Claudio,

    Alicia Roberts and

    Eva Andersen

    contributed to this report.

    Frederick Sutton Sinclair

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  • Multiple people shot at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, Chester County District Attorney say


    Multiple people were shot on Lincoln University of Pennsylvania’s campus during Homecoming weekend, the Chester County District Attorney said Saturday night.

    The shooting happened just after 9 p.m. during the school’s tailgate and yardfest event near the football field. The school is located on Baltimore Pike in western Chester County, about 50 miles from Philadelphia.

    The Chester County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement that they are aware of a shooting with multiple victims that occurred at Lincoln and law enforcement has responded to the scene, and actively investigating.

    The DA’s office is asking people to avoid the area as surrounding roads have been blocked off.

    CBS News Philadelphia spoke to a witness who said he saw one person receiving CPR.

    People were seen running for cover, and several others are being treated after being knocked to the ground and trampled, officials said.

    The condition of the victims are unknown at this time. It is unclear what led to the shooting.

    In an Instagram post, the university said counseling services will be available on Sunday starting at 10 a.m. for students and staff who need support.

    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said on X, “I’ve been briefed on the shooting at Lincoln University tonight, and my Administration has offered our full support to President Allen and local law enforcement. Please avoid the area, continue to follow the guidance of local law enforcement, and join Lori and me in praying for the Lincoln University community.”

    Founded in 1854, Lincoln University is the nation’s oldest degree-granting historically Black college or university.

    This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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  • Baddest In The ‘Burg! A Gallery Of SC State Stunners Who Showed Up & Showed Out At The Livest Homecoming In America

    Baddest in the ‘Burg!

    Source: IG: @kriskaylin

    Next stop on our nationwide Tour is South Carolina State University–the largest HBCU in South Carolina and the state’s only public HBCU–known for its legacy of excellence, bustling campus, dominating football program (with several NFL Draftees), and gorgeous stadium nestled in the comforting confines of Orangeburg, South Carolina.

    Founded in 1896, the coeducational institution was recognized as one of the nation’s most influential HBCUs over the last two decades by Academic Influence–an organization that ranks education institutions using web data.

    Dedicated to preparing graduates for a lifetime of success and service in a global society, SC State offers the only Bachelor of Science program in nuclear engineering in South Carolina and at an HBCU along with the state’s only Master of Science degree in transportation and Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in agribusiness.

    In addition to those distinctions, the is also the only HBCU in the country with an interdisciplinary art museum and planetarium–the I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium–and home to the only undergraduate environmental science field station in the nation.

    Notable alumni include Congressman Jim Clyburn, Civil Rights leader Benjamin Mays, Hall of Fame Defensive menace Deacon Jones, Detroit Lions Pro Bowler Robert Porcher, and The Breakfast Club guest co-host Kris Kaylin.

    Have you ever experienced SC State’s Homecoming? If so, how was it? If not, what are you waiting for?? Tell us down below and enjoy our gallery of SC State stunners at the Livest Homecoming in America on the flip.

    Alex Ford

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  • Potential threats force historically Black Virginia universities to lock down – WTOP News

    Less than a month after opening for the new school year, two Virginia HBCUs —  Virginia State and Hampton Universities  — closed on Thursday after receiving threats to their campuses.

    This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

    Less than a month after opening for the new school year, two Virginia HBCUs —  Virginia State and Hampton Universities  — closed on Thursday after receiving threats to their campuses.

    Though neither school has released details on what the threats entail, attention on campus safety has been heightened nationwide after the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

    In the past few years, Virginia’s institutions including Virginia State (VSU) and Hampton Universities have navigated multiple threats, some of which ended in no activity or followed after gun violence while others were found to be unsubstantiated.

    “The safety and well-being of our students, faculty, staff, and visitors remain our highest priority,” Hampton University said in a statement Thursday morning, adding that further updates will be provided by the end of the day.

    Hampton said in a statement that it received notice of a “potential threat” and has ceased all non-essential activities, effective immediately. All campus activities and classes would also be closed through Friday including athletic events and activities.

    Virginia State advised the school’s community to continue checking VSU emails for updates.

    Last July, Hampton locked down the school to investigate a bomb threat targeting The William R. Harvey Library and the University Dining Hall, according to WAVY News. Officials determined there was no threat.

    Then, a month later in Petersburg, Virginia State locked down its school after four people, none of whom were enrolled students, were shot on Boisseau Street outside Daniel Gymnasium on the university’s campus, 8News reported. The media outlet reported that all four people were then taken to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

    As of 12:30 p.m., no other institute in Virginia has announced any similar closure.

    Historically Black educational institutions in other states were also forced to close Thursday due to threats, including Southern University in Louisiana and Alabama State University.

    Jessica Kronzer

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  • SC State heightens security amid threats to HBCUs across the Southeast

    A South Carolina State University student walks outside the school’s new engineering building Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. The school has heightened security in response to threats made to other Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the Southeast (File photo by Jessica Holdman/SC Daily Gazette)

    South Carolina State University put added security measures in place in response to unspecified threats made to several Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the Southeast.

    SC State has not received any direct threats, spokesman Sam Watson said, but the school has heightened security as a precaution. Security personnel stationed at campus entrances are checking photo IDs of students, employees and visitors before allowing people to enter.

    Watson called this “standard operating procedure” for the school any time there is a potential safety risk.

    The school is instructing students and staff to report any suspicious activity to the campus Public Safety office at 803-536-7188.

    In other states, some schools are locking down their campuses and cancelling classes in response to threats.

    Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana went on lockdown Thursday morning, citing “a potential threat to campus safety,” according to the Louisiana Illuminator, a States Newsroom affiliate. The school asked members of the public not to enter campus until further notice.

    Lockdowns also have been confirmed at other HBCUs including:

    • Bethune-Cookman University, in Daytona Beach, Florida

    • Spelman College, in Atlanta

    • Virginia State University

    Claflin University, Allen University and Benedict College did not immediately respond to messages from the SC Daily Gazette.

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  • Harris to spend election night at Howard University as campaign leans into HBCU roots

    Harris to spend election night at Howard University as campaign leans into HBCU roots

    Howard University is where Vice President Kamala Harris spent some of the most formative years of her life, and it will now serve as the location where she spends what could arguably be the most important night of her life: election night. 

    Her campaign announced this week that Harris will spend election night at her Washington, D.C., alma mater. 

    “I am proud to be the first HBCU vice president of the United States. I intend to be the first HBCU president of the United States,” Harris said in an interview with Charlamagne tha God just two weeks ago.

    The Democratic presidential candidate graduated from Howard University with her bachelor’s degree in 1986. On the campus, nestled on a hill in Washington, D.C., she also pledged the first Black sorority in the U.S., Alpha Kappa Alpha. The Historically Black College and University was founded in 1869 and is often referred to as “The Mecca” for its storied legacy of producing Black community leaders like Stokely Carmichael and Thurgood Marshall.  

    If elected, Harris would be the first Black woman to win the presidency, and she has already made history as the first Black woman to secure a major party nomination. But her identity is something she seldom brings up on the campaign trail despite the historic nature. 

    Although Harris may not talk about her race on the trail often, she has highlighted Howard University’s role in her life throughout her political career; most recently it served as one of the locations she did preparations for her debate against former President Donald Trump. It is also where she launched her failed 2020 presidential bid.

    Harris’ campaign has recently leaned into HBCUs and attempted to appeal to young voters and alumni by visiting homecomings on the campuses of schools for what it dubbed the “HBCU Homecoming Tour.”

    Trey Baker, a senior advisor to Harris, said the homecoming tour is about meeting voters where they are. There are nearly 290,000 students enrolled at HBCUs across the country, according to the Pew Research Center. Each fall, students and alumni gather on the campuses for homecomings that are reminiscent of a family reunion. 

    Many of the campaign’s homecoming tour stops have been in battleground states, but the campaign was also intent on visiting Howard’s homecoming, which took place in late October.

    With a rally held just blocks away from Howard’s campus, the Harris campaign provided free food and drinks, with merch and yard signs being given out to those who filled out to commit to vote cards.

    Harris skipped out on Howard homecoming this year to campaign in battleground states, but in a letter penned to her alma mater, she said, “At Howard, we learn that we have the capacity to be great and also that we have the responsibility to work hard to live up to that potential each day.”

    Cameron Trimble, who organized the HBCU tour and is a Howard graduate as well, told CBS News it fills him with “immense pride” to be able to cast his vote for a fellow Bison. 

    “This is a chance for America to really make good on the promise of the founding of this country, that all people are truly created equal and that any American, can break through any glass ceiling that exists,” Trimble said. 

    Mississippi state Rep. Justis Gibbs graduated from Howard in 2018 but returned for homecoming and spoke about how Harris has inspired him to get involved politically. 

    “I think sometimes we think about how long it takes for things to change, and then change is happening right in front of us,” Gibbs said.  “I remember being in third grade. I didn’t think that I would have an African-American president in my lifetime. And now we have President Barack Obama. We’re about to have President Kamala Harris.”

    Despite the support some have for Harris, there is still a sense of anxiety. A recent CBS News poll found an even split in support for Harris and Trump across battleground states, underscoring just how close the election will be.

    “There’s a lot on the line in this election,” said Virgil Parker, another Howard graduate. “I am very anxious about former President Trump winning because he has already shown us the divisiveness he is capable of.”

    Regardless of whether Harris wins the election, Parker says that “her access shows us that anyone can ascend to any level of success no matter who they are and what they look like. As a person of color and HBCU graduate, I see myself in VP Harris.”

    Shawna Mizelle

    Shawna Mizelle is a 2024 campaign reporter for CBS News.

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  • Disney Dreamers Academy gets off to great start, eight Georgians are in attendance

    Disney Dreamers Academy gets off to great start, eight Georgians are in attendance

    Phpto by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    ORLANDO, Fl. – Led by their drum major Mickey Mouse, a brass band and trio of drum majors from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) started a procession into a ballroom at Disney Contemporary Resort. Behind them were 100 talented young people representing communities from all over the country. They are the Disney Dreamers Academy Class of 2024.

    Eight of the Disney Dreamers are from the state of Georgia, with three hailing from metro Atlanta; Cameryn Polk, a senior at Elite Scholars Academy in Clayton County, Hannah Dennis, a freshman at Elite Scholars Academy, and Hollis Mason, a junior soccer player and honors student at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta.

    Tracey Powell, Sr. Vice President of Consumer Insights, Measurements and Analytics of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts and Disney Dreamers Executive Champion  Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Once seated, the Disney Dreamers were greeted by Tracey Powell, Sr. Vice President of Consumer Insights, Measurements and Analytics of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts and Disney Dreamers Executive Champion . Powell, dressed in a colorful floral gown, spoke of about her 21 years of working for the global entertainment brand and how she moved from job to job within the company, the entire time believing in herself and her abilities.

    Donnell Suggs

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  • Opinion: Something’s rotten, and not just in the state of Tennessee

    Opinion: Something’s rotten, and not just in the state of Tennessee

    (CNN) — On Thursday March 28th, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee dissolved the board of Tennessee State University (TSU) — the state’s only public historically black college or university (HBCU) — with the stroke of his pen.

    You read that correctly. MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill to remove every single board member of the state’s sole publicly-funded historically Black university — and the governor signed it. Because, these extremists allege, the university’s financial situation is so dire that the only possible solution was to vacate the board and start from scratch.

    While Lee has since appointed a new slate of board members, it’s important that we see clearly what happened here. TSU’s financial challenges are not the result of some widespread mismanagement on the part of the university’s leadership. In fact, an audit released last week failed to find any evidence of “fraud or malfeasance by executive leadership.”

    Gevin Reynolds

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  • These HBCUs Have Been Massively Underfunded For 30 Years

    These HBCUs Have Been Massively Underfunded For 30 Years

    At this stage in our reckoning with America’s ongoing history of systemic racism, it comes as no shock that historically Black colleges and universities have been underfunded across the board. But recent letters sent by the Biden administration to governors across the South and Midwest detail this lack of support — and the data is cringe as hell.

    According to the letters from Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack, land-grant HBCUs in 16 states were shortchanged more than $13 billion over the last 30-plus years. These HBCUs include Alabama A&M University, North Carolina A&T State University, Virginia State University and Tennessee State University, among others.

    The letters address how much funding land-grant HBCUs in each of the states would have received in the last three decades if states’ funding per student matched the mandate of the Morrill Acts, a pair of late-1800s laws that established land-grant universities. Tennessee and North Carolina topped the list, with the gap in funding swelling to over $2 billion apiece.

    “This is a situation that clearly predates all of us,” reads one of the sentiments in all 16 letters. “However, it is a problem that we can work together to solve. In fact, it is our hope that we can collaborate to avoid burdensome and costly litigation that has occurred in several states.”

    The letters, recently made public by The Washington Post, analyze data from the National Center for Education Statistics to pinpoint how inequitable funding distribution is setting back progress at land-grant HBCUs compared to states’ other land-grant institutions.

    Cardona and Vilsack say these missing funds could have supported “infrastructure and student services and would have better positioned [HBCUs] to compete for research grants” against their better-resourced, predominantly white counterparts.

    Adding to the inequity, these letters come on the heels of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down race-conscious college admissions, an action many of us know will have a dire impact on higher education.

    A little context on the Morrill Acts and how they led to land-grant HBCUs: as the National Archives explains, the first Morrill Act went into effect in 1862, during the Civil War, granting 30,000 acres of stolen tribal land for every senator and representative in a given state to be allocated as “public lands.” States could sell a portion of this public land to fund the creation of a public post-secondary institution or use it to expand an existing one. These institutions were meant to prioritize education and research on agriculture, science, military science and engineering, and they received (and continue to receive) federal and state funding through additional measures.

    Because of Jim Crow and discriminatory enrollment practices, white men disproportionately benefited from this first wave of land-grant institutions. So, to counter this, a second Morrill Act was passed in 1890, as CNN explains. This act required states to prove that the existing enrollment practices at their land-grant institutions were not discriminatory or else to establish separate institutions specifically for Black people. States that didn’t adhere would have their land-grant funding withheld.

    The second Morrill Act was the foundation of 19 land-grant HBCUs, which did not receive support in the form of physical land but received financial funding instead, according to the National Archives.

    While the Biden administration’s letters make no mention of “systemic racism” or any such words, opting for lighter terms such as “unbalanced funding,” the message is clear. After considering the history of land-grant institutions and the gap in funding between predominantly white land-grant institutions and Black ones, it’s impossible to ignore a pattern of deliberate systemic racism at the center of all of this.

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