Racist texts sent after election to Black Americans spur investigation

In the days since the Presidential election, galore Black radical crossed America person received anonymous substance messages summoning them for enslaved labor, prompting inquiries by the FBI arsenic good arsenic instrumentality enforcement agencies nationwide.

The texts were reported crossed the South and from New York to California starting Wednesday morning, not agelong aft erstwhile President Donald Trump emerged victorious successful his conflict for the White House against Vice President Kamala Harris. Many of them straight code the recipient by name, ordering them to amusement up astatine a definite code and clip “with your belongings.” Some of the messages besides mentioned the incoming statesmanlike administration.

“You person been selected to prime cotton astatine the nearest plantation starting 11/07/24. Please beryllium acceptable astatine 8am SHARP! with your belongings,” 1 substance reads, per CNN. “Our enforcement enslaved catchers prime you up successful a brownish van, beryllium prepared to beryllium searched erstwhile you’ve entered the plantation.”

It concluded: “You are successful plantation radical 7.”

New York lawyer general Letitia James confirmed the messages person appeared connected the phones of mediate school, precocious schoolhouse and assemblage students successful New York City and its suburbs. She besides blasted the texts successful a statement, labeling them “disgusting and unacceptable.”

“I unequivocally condemn immoderate effort to intimate oregon endanger New Yorkers and their families,” she said.

New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a property briefing, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, successful New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson similarly expressed his dismay implicit the texts and suggested those with racist ideologies person been emboldened by Trump’s caller victory.

“The unfortunate world of electing a President who, historically has embraced, and astatine times encouraged hate, is unfolding earlier our eyes,” helium said successful a statement. “These messages correspond an alarming summation successful vile and abhorrent rhetoric from racist groups crossed the country, who present consciousness emboldened to dispersed hatred and stoke the flames of fearfulness that galore of america are feeling aft Tuesday’s predetermination results.”

Days aft the election, D.C. residents and galore others crossed the state said they’re getting spam substance messages with racist language. (Holli Holliday)

A spokesperson for the Trump campaign, Steven Cheung, said successful an email to the New York Times that the “campaign has perfectly nothing to bash with these substance messages.”

The FBI successful a connection connected Thursday said it is “aware of the violative and racist substance messages sent to individuals astir the state and is successful interaction with the Justice Department and different national authorities connected the matter.”

With News Wire Services