In a series of deeply troubling events, racist text messages have been sent to Black residents across numerous states, sparking fear and prompting investigations by local and federal authorities. According to
KPRC 2
, Humble ISD in Texas reported that a student at West Lake Middle School received offensive messages and was offered counseling, while their local police and the FBI are looking into the incident. The disturbing texts, universally condemned as racist for telling recipients they had been “selected for cotton picking,” were found to be part of a nationwide spree as per
CBS News
, having reached people in states including but not limited to Alabama, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
The messages, which possessed an eerie similarity in language and hateful tone sent shockwaves through communities, as Humble ISD fleetingly mentioned the student was not alone, her mother articulated her daughter divulged that other Black and Latino students had received similar spam; the family chose to remain anonymous in public discourse.
KPRC 2
shared that the initial messages arrived at dawn’s break, setting a grim tone for the day. The FBI and Federal Communications Commission have become involved, as the texts are not localized but span across the nation with at least 25 different state area codes participating in the despicable act according to
CBS News
.
Major universities like Clemson and the University of Alabama have reported similar incidents involving their students. Lower Merion School District in Pennsylvania disclosed that even middle schoolers were not spared and alerted parents to the racist nature of the messages in a statement obtained by
KPRC 2
. On the other coast, Fisk University, a renowned historically Black institute, assured students that the alarming communications were perceived to be from bots or malign actors with no credible threats or actions likely to follow, upholding calm amidst the unsettling scenario.
Authorities have been quick to denounce the floods of racist texts, with New York Attorney General Letitia James calling the offenses against the residents and students “disgusting and unacceptable,” as she spoke to
CBS News
. Meanwhile, the Southern Poverty Law Center and other civil rights organizations stand in firm condemnation; these acts have rattled the sense of safety within these communities, where individuals like Devereaux Adams of Atlanta, in a statement to
CBS News
, shared feeling “afraid and hurt” upon receipt of such a vile text, leaving him bewildered and fearing for his safety amid rising concerns about the increasing boldness of hate speech post-election.
The service used to send these messages, TextNow, confirmed accounts were shut down as soon as the violation of their terms of service was known, promising cooperation with authorities to prevent future misuse.
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