Campus Alert Archive
Morehouse

Hate-Speech Notes on the Steps of an HBCU Trigger Bomb Squad and Homeland Security Response

GAbomb threatemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed HoaxDetermined to be a hoax. The institutional response is documented because it reveals how the alert system performed under a perceived real threat.

On November 9, 2011, notes found on the steps of Morehouse College containing racial and sexual-identity slurs along with a bomb threat prompted a campus-wide emergency response. Morehouse Police, the Atlanta Police Department, and the Department of Homeland Security investigated the threat, which was ultimately found not to be credible. The incident came within days of similar hate-speech messages targeting students at neighboring Spelman College, the historically Black women's college across the street.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Morehouse College
Hbcu · GA
Morehouse College Emergency Alert
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 ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction188 chars
MOREHOUSE ALERT: A bomb threat has been received on campus. Morehouse Police and Atlanta Police are investigating. Please shelter in place and avoid all outdoor areas until further notice.

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

The threat was discovered via written notes found on the steps of a campus building on the morning of November 9, 2011; notes combined racial slurs and sexual-identity slurs with a bomb threat statement
Morehouse College is an all-male HBCU in Atlanta's West End neighborhood; the incident came amid heightened sensitivity following similar hate speech at nearby Spelman College earlier that week
The Department of Homeland Security's involvement alongside APD reflected post-9/11 protocols for hate-based threats at historically significant institutions
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction165 chars
MOREHOUSE ALERT: All clear. The campus has been searched and the bomb threat was found not to be credible. Normal operations may resume. Thank you for your patience.

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

The all-clear followed a sweep by Morehouse Police, Atlanta PD, and DHS investigators who found the threat was not credible
No suspect was publicly identified in connection with either the Morehouse bomb-threat notes or the Spelman hate-speech messages that preceded them
Context

Background

Morehouse College is one of the most prominent historically Black colleges in the United States, located in the Atlanta University Center alongside Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, and Morehouse School of Medicine. On November 9, 2011, notes containing both racial slurs and sexual-identity slurs alongside a bomb threat were discovered on the steps of a campus building. The incident occurred less than a week after similar hate-speech messages were directed at two Spelman College students who had been publicly open about their sexual identity. Morehouse Police, the Atlanta Police Department, and the Department of Homeland Security responded; after investigation the threat was found not credible. The dual incidents at Morehouse and Spelman in the same week prompted discussions about LGBTQ+ inclusion and hate-crime response at HBCUs, a conversation that would resurface repeatedly throughout the following decade. Commentary by campus observers noted that the Atlanta University Center's shared geography -- multiple institutions share adjacent urban blocks -- created challenges for perimeter control and alert coordination.
Outcome
No explosive device found. Threat declared not credible. Campus all-clear issued.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Notes containing hate speech prompt bomb threat at Morehouse College (11Alive)
    11alive.com
  2. Source
    Morehouse Bomb Threat (GSU Campus Blog / Michelle Kassorla)
    sites.gsu.edu
  3. Source
    Suggestions for CAU Security after Morehouse Bomb Threat (Dr. K's Blog)
    drkblog.wordpress.com
Tags
bomb-threathate-speechhbcugeorgiaatlantalgbtqwritten-threathomeland-security2011Hoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion