There are reports of Black people across the United States receiving disturbing text messages related to slavery and “cotton picking” following Donald Trump’s presidential election victory. These racist messages have been reported in more than a dozen states, including California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, North Carolina, Virginia and Alabama. CNN. The anonymously sent messages instructed recipients to report to a “plantation” or board a bus, sparking widespread concern and triggering an investigation by the FBI and other agencies.
The messages often instructed recipients to report to a specific address, sometimes even mentioning the incoming presidential administration. Some people also target children, with reports of middle school students receiving these hateful messages. For example, a 16-year-old girl in California received a message instructing her to report to a “plantation” in North Carolina.
A friend in San Francisco received this racist message today, and after looking on social media, it looks like many Black people are receiving it too. pic.twitter.com/eDyFf3a6Ix
– John Ryan E (@RyanElward) 7 November 2024
The FBI is working with the Department of Justice to address these incidents, while the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is investigating along with federal and state law enforcement. TextNow, the platform through which some of these messages were sent, reported cnn This is a “widespread, coordinated attack”.
FBI Statement on Offensive and Racist Text Messages pic.twitter.com/iDtN36WhX4
– FBI (@FBI) 7 November 2024
”TextNow is working with our industry partners to uncover more details and continue monitoring the pattern to proactively block any new accounts attempting to send these messages. “We do not tolerate or condone the use of our service to send harassing or spam messages and will work with authorities to prevent these individuals from doing so in the future,” the company said. ‘
Civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, one of the largest black civil rights organizations in the US, have condemned these messages. The Southern Poverty Law Center also weighed in, calling the messages “deeply disturbing.”
“We have said it before and we will say it again – there is no place for hatred in a democracy. The threat – and the mention of slavery in 2024 – is not only deeply disturbing, but perpetuates a legacy of evil that predates the Jim Crow era, and now requires Black Americans to pursue life, freedom and equality. Wants to stop us from enjoying freedom. , and happiness,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in one Press release.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill told CNN on Friday that whoever is sending the racist text messages is using anonymous software to obscure their location.
