November 9th 2024.
In the aftermath of the recent presidential election, multiple federal and state agencies have launched investigations into the sending of racist mass text messages to Black individuals across the country. These messages, which referenced slavery, were sent to Black men, women, and children, prompting swift action from the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
Reports of these disturbing messages have surfaced in several states, including New York, Alabama, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Tennessee. The FBI has already been in communication with the Justice Department, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is also conducting its own investigation in collaboration with federal and state authorities.
FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel has condemned the messages, stating that the agency takes this type of targeting very seriously. The texts varied in content but all shared a similar theme, instructing recipients to board a bus that would take them to a plantation to work as slaves. These messages were particularly alarming as they were sent to school-aged children and college students, causing significant distress.
The origin of these messages remains anonymous, with the sender using a VPN to conceal their identity, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill. Similarly, the Maryland Attorney General's Office has received multiple reports of these racist texts being sent to Black residents, including children. In a statement, officials described the messages as a part of a nationwide campaign aimed at targeting Black people in the aftermath of the election.
Attorney General Anthony Brown has condemned the messages as horrific and unacceptable, promising that they will not be tolerated. Officials are urging recipients of these texts to report them to local law enforcement. Brown also expressed concern over the inclusion of children in these targeted messages, stating that it is disturbing that they were being included in datasets that are typically used for adults, such as campaign donors or magazine subscribers.
The phone service provider TextNow has confirmed that one or more of their accounts were used to send these racist texts and has disabled those accounts for violating their terms of service. They are also working with law enforcement and other partners to investigate the attack. Other major providers, such as AT&T and Verizon, have acknowledged this as an industry-wide issue and have referred to an industry trade group for further comment.
According to Nick Ludlum, SVP & Chief Communications Officer of CTIA, a wireless communications trade association, the US wireless industry has already blocked thousands of these texts and is working with law enforcement to identify the platforms used by bad actors to send them. These messages have been reported all across the country, predominantly targeting Black Americans, and specifically Black children as young as middle schoolers.
One mother in North Carolina, Nicole (last name withheld for privacy reasons), shared her experience with these texts. Her high school daughter showed her the messages on Thursday night, prompting feelings of disturbance and concern. The texts instructed her daughter to prepare to go back to the plantation, and as a parent, Nicole did not want to have to discuss these issues with her children. She also expressed her disappointment that such racist attitudes still exist and are being perpetuated through technology.
As the dust settles from the recent presidential election, federal and state agencies are now faced with a disturbing and alarming issue - the widespread distribution of racist mass texts to Black individuals across the country. This has sparked investigations by the FBI and other law enforcement departments as they work to uncover the source of these hateful messages.
The texts, which invoked images of slavery, were sent to Black men, women, and even children, causing fear and distress among the recipients. Reports of these messages have been flooding in from multiple states, including New York, Alabama, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Tennessee. It's a deeply concerning situation that has caught the attention of both federal and state officials.
The FBI has already reached out to the Justice Department to discuss the matter, while the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has also launched an investigation in collaboration with law enforcement. FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel has condemned the messages, stating that the agency takes this type of targeting very seriously. The FCC has urged recipients of the texts to report them to local law enforcement as well.
The content of these messages varied slightly, but they all shared a disturbing theme - Black individuals were being instructed to board a bus that would take them to a plantation to work as slaves. It's a sickening and reprehensible tactic that has caused significant distress among school-aged children and college students who received these messages.
According to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, the sender of these messages used a VPN to hide their identity, making it difficult to track them down. The Maryland Attorney General's Office has also received numerous reports of similar racist texts being sent to Black residents, including children. In a news release, officials stated that these messages appear to be part of a larger, nationwide campaign targeting Black individuals in the aftermath of the election.
Attorney General Anthony Brown has condemned the messages as "horrific" and "unacceptable," and has vowed to hold the perpetrators accountable. He has also expressed concern over the fact that even children were not spared from these hateful messages, highlighting the disturbing use of technology to intimidate and threaten others.
The phone service provider TextNow has confirmed that their platform was used to send these racist texts and has taken swift action to disable the accounts responsible for violating their terms of service. They are also working with partners and law enforcement to investigate this attack. Major providers such as AT&T and Verizon have also acknowledged the issue and referred comment to an industry trade group.
According to Nick Ludlum, SVP & Chief Communications Officer of CTIA, the US wireless industry has already taken steps to block thousands of these texts and is working closely with law enforcement to address the situation. He also emphasized the industry's commitment to addressing and preventing these types of attacks in the future.
These racist texts have targeted Black Americans across the country, with a particular focus on Black children as young as middle schoolers. One mother from North Carolina, who preferred not to use her last name, shared her daughter's experience with these messages. Her daughter, a high school student, received a text instructing her to prepare to return to the plantation. As a parent, she was deeply disturbed and concerned by these messages and the impact they could have on her child.
This is not the first incident of racism and hate in our country, and sadly, it likely won't be the last. As we continue to grapple with these issues, it's important to have open and honest conversations with our children and stand together against hatred and discrimination. These texts may have been sent anonymously, but the impact they have had on the Black community is real and cannot be ignored. It's a harsh reminder that we still have a long way to go in the fight against racism.
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