HAMPTON, Va. — Federal money is on the way to Hampton University after the school dealt with bomb threats last year.
Hampton University is one of several Historically Black Colleges and Universities that experienced racially targeted attacks in the early months of 2022.
Now, the Department of Education is releasing funds to help everyone on campus deal with the problem.
“It is vital. It is absolutely imperative to get the resources," said Dr. Kristie Norwood, director of Hampton's Student Counseling Center.
The school will receive more than $214,000 from the Department of Education to help bolster mental health resources on campus. The money is part of Project SERV, which is a federal initiative to provide short-term funding to higher education institutions that have experienced a violent or traumatic situation.
Last February, during Black History Month, bomb threats forced Hampton and dozens of other HBCUs, including Norfolk State and Elizabeth City State universities, to shelter in place.
Police ultimately cleared the campus, but Norwood, who is a licensed clinical psychologist, said the situation can traumatize students and anyone connected to campus.
“I think it is important to remember that sometimes when the bomb threats happen, they trigger others that we have had that may not even be associated with our time here at Hampton," said Norwood.
Hampton will use the money to hire two full-time positions: a specialist in mental health and trauma response, and a psychology technician.
The school will also provide suicide intervention training, aimed at spotting trauma reactions. Three of Hampton's therapists will become national suicide prevention and awareness trainers, said Norwood.
The funding is the latest round of support from the Biden administration to HBCUs, totaling nearly $6 billion to institutions nationwide, according to the White House.
“I couldn’t imagine having been on that campus and having to have to experience that and then not know if it is real or if it is just a threat," said Dr. Deitra Trent, who leads the White House HBCU Initiative.
Trent, a graduate of Hampton, called threats to the education and the well-being of Black students an "unfortunate part of our history."
“When you threaten Hampton, you threaten every other HBCU in this country, every alum, every student, every faculty member," she said.
Her office is also working with administrators at Elizabeth City State University and encourages other schools to apply.
In a joint statement, Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner said, “colleges and universities should be positive, safe learning environments," and called the funding "critical to helping Hampton students get the mental health resources and counseling they need to feel safe on campus.”
The FBI launched an investigation into racially motivated threats against more than 50 HBCUs and houses of worship in the early part of last year.
In November, authorities identified a boy under 18 years old as a person behind several attacks in January. However, the agency is still looking into who made later threats to others schools, including Hampton University.
In the meantime, Norwood hopes this funding will help combat long-term effects and get ahead of future threats.
“In the event that this or something else happens, how can we equip our campus to have the necessary skills?" said Norwood.
The Biden administration said it expects to announce more money for HBCUs in the coming weeks.