Talladega College, an HBCU facing acute financial distress, sold landmark Hale Woodruff murals to an art museum and two foundations to raise emergency funds while asserting it has not fully relinquished the works’ public mission. The sale followed reports of steep budget shortfalls and reflects an emerging pattern of asset sales at financially stressed small colleges. Separately, historically Black colleges and universities are boosting campus security after threats and recent shootings, a priority discussed by HBCU leaders in the wake of increased campus safety incidents. Administrators report reallocating scarce resources to security measures such as additional officers and surveillance upgrades. The combination of fiscal strain and heightened security needs is forcing trade‑offs: preservation of cultural heritage assets versus operating viability, and student services versus campus protection. Donors, trustees and federal funders will face pressure to weigh emergency stabilization against long‑term institutional missions.