Across the country, in more than 20 states, black people receive racist text messages ordering them to report to plantations for slave labor. and many other outlets. In addition to referring to “slave catchers” and “cotton pickers,” the texts warn that buyers will be searched upon arrival.
After the 2024 election, people in Virginia, Georgia and more reported receiving racist text messages claiming they had been ‘elected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation.’ pic.twitter.com/XUYTyaI1Su
— Complex (@Complex) November 8, 2024
These hateful messages have been received by children and adults alike. “The texts target black and brown individuals, including students,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said. Various AG offices from other states have also issued statements.
The texts all come from unknown phone numbers and began circulating after Tuesday’s election. NAACP President Derrick Johnson said, “These messages represent an alarming increase in demeaning and vile rhetoric from racist groups across the country who now feel emboldened to spread hate and stoke the fires of fear that many of us felt in the wake of Tuesday’s election results.”
I have been aware of racist and vile spam text messages that people in Louisiana have been receiving. I have directed the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation to fully investigate the origin of these vile texts that are only intended to divide us. I appeal to everyone who buys… pic.twitter.com/akz37kYbXq
— Attorney General Liz Murrill (@AGLizMurrill) November 7, 2024
The mother of a University of Alabama student who received one of the messages said, “It’s scary that it’s the day after the election. It’s scary for my daughter to come on her personal phone. It’s scary that it’s only going to black students.”
A spokesperson for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign wrote in a statement that it had “absolutely nothing to do with these text messages.” FBI said in a statement that it was “in contact with the Department of Justice and other federal agencies regarding the matter.”
It remains unclear who sent the texts and how they did it. The messages targeted people of color, suggesting that the senders had biographical information about the recipients. Most of the messages were sent through TextNow, a free app that provides phone numbers, texting and calling services.
TextNow said CNN believes it was a “widespread, coordinated attack.” The service allows people to sign up anonymously and sends texts through randomly generated phone numbers. He says he’s busy “quickly shutting down related accounts.” The company is also “working with our industry partners to track patterns to uncover more details and proactively block any new accounts attempting to send these messages.”
If you’ve received one of these scary texts, lawmakers encourage you to contact your state’s AG or email. . It is not yet known how many people received the messages.
