Racist rumors, bomb threats and their toll on Black students

By Quintessa Williams
Word in Black

Springfield, Ohio, has become the center of a political firestorm after unfounded rumors surfaced that Haitian immigrants were stealing and eating pets. Despite being debunked by local authorities, these lies gained national attention after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, amplified them.

Six schools, including several elementary schools and a middle school, in the 7,700-student Springfield City School District, were evacuated in the span of a week. With Black kids being 24 percent of students and minority enrollment at 50 percent of students overall, these events have disproportionately impacted students of color in the city.

Earlier this week, White House national security spokesman John Kirby called the unsubstantiated reports that led to the bomb threats “dangerous” misinformation. “Because there will be people that believe it, no matter how ludicrous and stupid it is,” Kirby said. “And they might act on that kind of misinformation, and act on it in a way where somebody can get hurt, so it needs to stop.”

On Sunday, Sept 15, Senator Vance reiterated the false claims on CNN without evidence and admitted that these stories were created. “The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes. If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do,” Vance said.

As students continue to face threats linked to political misinformation, concerned residents like Immah Marsh tell Word In Black it’s critical steps be taken to protect students and their schools.

“Misinformation that leads to this level of a threat should have no place in our schools, whatsoever,” Marsh says. “And it’s up to our community, state and national leaders to push back against the harmful rhetoric that threatens the well-being of Black and minority students. They have enough to worry about at school as it is. It has to stop somewhere.” 

Philomene Philostin, a Haitian American business owner in Springfield, told CNN she’s feeling the fallout from the lies about her community — and says it’s hitting the kids hardest. She said her own child has been asked awkward, uncomfortable questions about Haitian culture that leave them feeling embarrassed and upset. 

“People here, they’re really scared,” she said. 

The national impact on Black students

As K-12 schools become increasingly politicized due to culture wars over DEI, teaching Black history and other issues, the students in them — particularly Black and other students of color — bear the brunt of the fallout. These threats exacerbate a harsh reality: For nearly 30 years, researchers have found that many Black students don’t feel safe at school.

According to a 2023 Journal of Adolescent Health report, 9.1 percent of all students aged 11-17 often stayed home due to feeling unsafe at school. The prevalence of feeling unsafe was higher among students of color, with nearly 9 percent of Black students and just over 11 percent of Hispanic/Latino students reporting feeling unsafe. In comparison, just over 7 percent of White students reported feeling unsafe.  

In addition, the repeated bomb threats and evacuations in Springfield highlight the emotional and psychological toll such events take on students — particularly Black students, who are already more likely to experience racial tension in schools. A 2020 study by the Education Resources Information Center found that minority students are 30 percent more likely to report feelings of fear and anxiety related to threats to school safety than their White peers. 

Allison Wiltz, an English teacher from New Orleans, tells me that these feelings can manifest in lower academic performance, higher absenteeism rates and reduced engagement in school activities — all of which disproportionately impact Black students.

“The recent school evacuations in Springfield make it clear that racism is more than ill-will or disrespectful words,” Wiltz says. “Language has power, and it perpetuates violence that impacts our marginalized students the most.”

The impact of misinformation, bomb threats, and unsafe school environments aren’t unique to just affect K-12 students. False narratives and political misinformation targeting immigrant and Black communities are part of a troubling pattern of violence at the college level. In early 2022, bomb threats targeted 49 Historically Black Colleges and Universities and 19 Predominantly Black Institutions.

“The recent bomb threats experienced by HBCUs have shaken students and fractured their sense of safety and belonging, which are critical to their academic success and wellbeing,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement at the time.

Where do we go from here?

Misinformation, bomb threats, and unsafe school environments all exacerbate the challenges Black students already face in the education system, from racial disparities in discipline to unequal access to resources.

On Monday, Sept. 16, Ohio’s Republican governor, Mike DeWine, said state police will now conduct daily sweeps of schools in Springfield after authorities were forced to investigate “at least 33” bomb threats that led to evacuations and temporary building closures. 

“We cannot let the bad guys win,” DeWine said in a separate statement. “We must take every threat seriously, but children deserve to be in school, and parents deserve to know that their kids are safe. The added security will help ease some of the fears caused by these hoaxes.”

“Springfield is a community that needs help,” Mayor Rob Rue said in an interview with The Washington Post. The mayor added that national leaders should provide help and not “hurt a community like, unfortunately, we have seen over the last couple of days.”

This article was originally published by Word In Black.

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