Howard

On Black History Month's Last Day, Howard's Radio Station Gets the Threat

Tuesday, February 28, 2023DCbomb threatemergency notificationmedium confidence

UnfoundedNo evidence of an actual threat was found. The institutional response is documented because the alert communication is identical to what would occur during a real incident.

Howard University received a bomb threat targeting the WHUR/WHUT broadcast complex on Bryant Street NW on February 28, 2023 — the final day of Black History Month — drawing AlertHU notifications at approximately 9:42 a.m. EST. The threat targeted WHUR 96.3 FM, Howard's nationally syndicated Black-format radio station, and WHUT-TV. Howard Public Safety and MPD swept the building and issued an all-clear within several hours. This was Howard's eighth racially motivated bomb threat in roughly 13 months and arrived alongside a coordinated threat to the University of the District of Columbia, another HBCU.

Alerts: 2
Response: min
Killed: —
Injured: —

Institution

Howard University

Hbcu · DC

~12,000 studentsAlertHU

Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMSFeb 28, 2023, 2:42 PM EST

Approximate reconstruction163 chars

AlertHU: A bomb threat has been made against the WHUR/WHUT complex at 4th and Bryant Streets, NW. The area is being evacuated. Avoid the area until further notice.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Sent at 9:42 AM EST per The Hilltop's reporting, which noted students were notified by AlertHU at that time

Targets the WHUR/WHUT complex at 4th and Bryant Streets NW — Howard's broadcasting facility rather than the main academic core

Eighth racially motivated bomb threat against Howard since January 2022 — the alert system was now responding to a familiar pattern

Arrived on the last day of Black History Month, 2023 — symbolic timing identical to the February 1, 2022 'first day' threats

ALL CLEARSMSFeb 28, 2023, 3:23 PM EST+41 min

Approximate reconstruction233 chars

AlertHU: All clear. Howard's Department of Public Safety (DPS) and MPD responded to a potential bomb threat at the WHUR/WHUT complex. The perimeter was secured and searched. No active devices were found and the area has been cleared.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed using Howard's standard all-clear template — the language is nearly identical to the February 1, 2022 and January 4, 2022 all-clears

Reuse of nearly identical template language across eight threats demonstrates a rigid alert pattern critics later flagged

The all-clear was issued at approximately 10:23 a.m. EST per The Hilltop, about 41 minutes after the 9:42 a.m. evacuation notice, and staff returned to the WHUR/WHUT building

Context

Background

The February 28, 2023 threat targeted Howard's WHUR/WHUT broadcast complex on the corner of 4th and Bryant Streets NW — home of WHUR 96.3 FM, Howard's nationally syndicated Black-format radio station, and WHUT-TV, the first Black-owned and -operated public television station in the United States. The choice of target — a Black-owned media outlet on the last day of Black History Month — paralleled the symbolic targeting of the February 1, 2022 'first day of Black History Month' bomb threat wave that hit 18+ HBCUs simultaneously. This was Howard's eighth racially motivated bomb threat in approximately 13 months. The same morning, the University of the District of Columbia — DC's other HBCU — received a coordinated threat. By 2023, Howard's response template had matured: AlertHU specified the building, MPD bomb squad responded within minutes, and the all-clear reused language nearly identical to prior threats. Critics later noted that this template predictability could itself be a vulnerability if the threat pattern shifted.

Analysis

Key Findings

Symbolic targeting of WHUR/WHUT — Black media outlets — extends the racist-extremist pattern of choosing high-visibility Black-identified targets

The last-day-of-Black-History-Month timing mirrors the first-day-of-Black-History-Month 2022 wave, suggesting threat actor awareness of symbolic dates

Eight threats in 13 months exposed how rigid Howard's alert template had become — almost identical all-clear text across multiple events

Coordinated same-morning threat to UDC, another HBCU, suggests organized rather than opportunistic activity

Outcome

All-clear given after a building sweep found no devices; no injuries. Howard described the threat as part of the ongoing pattern of racially motivated harassment. The University of the District of Columbia received a simultaneous threat.

Provenance

Sources

Student Paper
Howard University Receives Bomb Threat on Last Day of Black History Month
thehilltoponline.com
Official
WHUR Bomb Threat Update | The Dig at Howard University
thedig.howard.edu
Official
Bomb Threat - WHUR/WHUT Complex | Department of Public Safety
publicsafety.howard.edu
News
All clear issued after bomb threat prompts shelter-in-place at Howard University's WHUR radio station
fox5dc.com
Official
Howard and UDC Target of More Bomb Threats | WHUR 96.3 FM
whur.com

Alert Sequence

Background

Key Findings

Sources

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