NEW YORK (CMC)–Caribbean-American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette C. Clarke has condemned what she described as “terroristic threats” against Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States.

Several HBCUs, particularly in the Southern United States, have reported that they were on lockdown or cancelled classes due to potential threats.

Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York, said the threats made against several HBCUs are “not only vile—they are a chilling reminder of the relentless racism and extremism that continues to target and terrorise Black communities in this country.

“These terroristic threats, designed to intimidate and foment hatred against everyday Americans—in this case, Black institutions of higher learning—cannot go unchallenged and must not be swept aside,” Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) on Saturday. “Black students and HBCU communities deserve to be protected.”

Clarke said CBC “stands in full solidarity with the students, faculty, and staff of HBCUs around our nation, and we remain committed to ensuring their safety and security.”

She also urged the US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to “act swiftly to fully investigate these threats and pursue the appropriate legal action against those responsible.”

US House of Representatives’ Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries described as “despicable” the violent threats made against several HBCUs throughout the US, stating that they are “yet another indication that the explosion of hateful extremism is out of control.

“We stand with the students, faculty and communities that have had their peace and safety disrupted,” said Jeffries, whose 8th Congressional District in New York, encompassing parts of Brooklyn and Queens, has a large proportion of Caribbean immigrants.

“The Department of Justice and FBI must thoroughly investigate any potential act of domestic terrorism, and not turn a blind eye when Black college students are apparently being viciously targeted,” the congressman urged.

“These attempts to intimidate everyday Americans will not stand,” he affirmed. “We need leadership at this moment that brings the country together.”

On Thursday, Hampton University, Virginia State University, Bethune-Cookman University and Alabama State University were among several HBCUs reporting lockdowns after receiving significant threats.

The threats came a day after Charlie Kirk, a renowned conservative activist and Trump ally, was fatally shot at a Utah college campus event.

Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University in Georgia also said they received “terroristic threats.”