November 8th 2024.
The recent US presidential election may have brought about a shift in power, but it has also sparked a disturbing trend of racially motivated texts being sent to Black Americans across the country. These messages, filled with derogatory language and references to slavery, have caused alarm and prompted an investigation by the FBI.
The messages, sent from unknown numbers, have been reported in several states including New York, Alabama, Ohio, California, and Pennsylvania. Some were labeled as coming from a "Trump supporter" and included the campaign slogan #MAGA (Make America Great Again). Others instructed the recipients to report to specific addresses, while some did not include a location at all.
One particularly unsettling message read, "You have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation." This type of language is deeply disturbing and has caused fear and concern among those who received it. Tasha Dunham of Lodi, California, was shocked when her 16-year-old daughter showed her the message, which not only used her daughter's name but also directed her to report to a "plantation" in North Carolina, a place they have never lived.
The messages have also targeted young children, with some middle school students in Pennsylvania receiving them. The acting superintendent of the Lower Merion School District, Megan Shafer, expressed her concern in a letter to parents, stating that "the racist nature of these text messages is extremely disturbing, made even more so by the fact that children have been targeted."
These hateful messages have also reached students at universities such as Clemson in South Carolina and the University of Alabama. The Clemson Police Department has condemned the messages and urged anyone who received one to report it. Fisk University, a historically Black university in Nashville, Tennessee, also spoke out against the messages, calling them "deeply unsettling."
It is not yet known who is behind these messages, but the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission are both investigating. Derrick Johnson, president of the human rights group NAACP, emphasized that these actions are not normal and are perpetuating a legacy of evil that dates back to before the Jim Crow era. He stated, "the threat - and the mention of slavery in 2024 - is not only deeply disturbing, but perpetuates a legacy of evil that dates back to before the Jim Crow era, and now seeks to prevent Black Americans from enjoying the same freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness." The FBI is working closely with the Justice Department and state law enforcement to find the individuals responsible for these hateful messages. In this day and age, it is disturbing to see such blatant racism and it is important to stand together against it.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
