Following the recent presidential election, Black students and residents across the U.S. have received racist text messages referencing slavery.
CBS News
reports that Metro Detroit high school students were among those targeted, and Lake Orion Community Schools has condemned the offensive messages directed at its diverse student body.
The content of these texts, some of which were directed at students in Michigan, contained harrowing threats to Black individuals to return to plantations and pick cotton. In one explicit instance, detailed by the
Detroit Free Press
, recipients were instructed to be ready for transport to a plantation or face fatal consequences. Frances Carmona shared how her niece was shaken by such a message, leading to a night without sleep for the family and a sense of insecurity.
The messages are difficult to trace because they likely came from third-party text services rather than personal devices. Cybersecurity expert David Derigiotis told
CBS News
that phone numbers and demographic details are easily accessible to malicious actors. This cyber attack isn’t limited to Michigan, as reports have emerged from 17 states, showing a coordinated effort behind the messages.
The MI Attorney General Dana Nessel has advised individuals who received these messages to report them to law enforcement, emphasizing the potentially criminal nature of these acts, as stated to the
Detroit News
.
While the origin of these messages remains under investigation, Trump campaign spokesman Brian Hughes has strenuously denied any connection of the campaign to the texts, despite some messages containing #MAGA hashtags. Hughes told
NBC News
, “If we can find the origin of these messages which promote this kind of ugliness in our name we will obviously take legal action to stop it.” Meanwhile, educational institutions such as Fisk University and Grand Valley State University have begun to offer support resources to affected students and staff, reasserting their commitment to diversity and the wellbeing of their communities.
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