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Black Americans across the country received racist texts referencing the return of slavery in the hours following Donald Trump’s election win.
Among those who received the messages were Black high school and college students. Some of the messages told recipients they had been “selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation.” One message posted to social media was addressed to “Negro Breed” and referred to Trump’s win, adding, “You have been selected to perform in SECTION 487 at George Pickett cotton picking plantation.” The post also used the term “nigger.”
The FBI released a statement on Thursday about the messages, saying the agency “is aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country and is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter.”
Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel also weighed in via a press release.
“These messages are unacceptable,” she said. “That’s why our Enforcement Bureau is already investigating and looking into them alongside federal and state law enforcement. We take this type of targeting very seriously.”
