Racist textual content messages referencing ‘cotton’ despatched to quite a few Black individuals

Within the wake of Donald Trump’s election victory, quite a few Black individuals throughout the nation reported receiving a racist textual content message from an unknown sender, in line with information accounts and screenshots shared on social media.

Mashable confirmed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation that the company had discovered of such experiences.

“The FBI is conscious of the offensive and racist textual content messages despatched to people across the nation and is involved with the Justice Division and different federal authorities on the matter,” the FBI stated in an announcement to Mashable.

The textual content message, which had slight variations however comparable content material, advised the recipient that they’d been chosen to “decide cotton on the nearest plantation.” It additionally directed recipients to be prepared with their belongings at a sure time, and to attend for a automobile to choose them up. One model of the message congratulates the recipient and is signed by a “Trump supporter.”

Social media experiences indicated that Black college students on the College of Alabama, Clemson, and Alabama State obtained the message. Benjamin Johnson, assistant vice chairman of media and public relations at The Ohio State College, confirmed to Mashable that college students had additionally obtained the textual content message.

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Johnson stated the messages had been reported to the college’s Workplace of Institutional Fairness, which handles complaints associated to harassment and discrimination. The college has additionally supplied assist to college students who obtained the textual content.

FOX 2 in Detroit reported that Black ladies within the space had obtained the textual content, and FOX 5 in Atlanta obtained comparable experiences.

It’s unclear at this level who’s sending the messages. Following Trump’s 2016 election, there was a spike in “hate incidents,” in line with monitoring performed on the time by the Southern Poverty Legislation Heart.

The FBI advised Mashable that it encourages members of the general public to report threats of bodily violence to native regulation enforcement authorities.