Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois closed because of cyber attack

[David Lockmiller]

New York Times - May 9, 2022

Lincoln College, a predominantly Black college in Lincoln Illinois, founded in 1865 and named for Abraham Lincoln, will close this week after 157 years.

After it chose to pay the ransom, Lincoln College and its students mounted a last-ditch social media and fund-raising campaign, including a GoFundMe page, to try to save the school.

But with the announcement that the school would close for good on Friday, Lincoln students, faculty members and graduates were struggling to come to terms with the loss.

Arielle Williams, 26, who graduated in 2017 with an associate degree in communications, said in a direct message on Instagram that the closure was devastating.

“My college memories are so close to my heart,” she said, adding that she had met many of her closest friends at Lincoln. “It’s bittersweet,” she added, that she would not be able “to go back and show my kids when I have them.”