Black students across the country reportedly received racist text messages from anonymous senders on Wednesday, the day after former president Donald Trump won a divisive presidential election fraught with racial issues.
The message, according to screenshots shared by media organizations and on social media, told recipients that they had been “selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation.” Several University of Alabama students received the texts, according to local media reports.
“It is our understanding that individuals across the country have received these disgusting messages. This has been reported to authorities, and we’re asking anyone who may have information regarding these messages to report it to the appropriate authorities,” a spokesperson for the University of Alabama told The Tuscaloosa Thread.
Students at Clemson University also received the racist messages.
“The Clemson University Police Department (CUPD) has received reports of students receiving text messages containing disparaging language from unrecognized numbers. These numbers have been determined to be associated with online spoofing sites,” university officials said in a statement. “CUPD is actively investigating the matter and working with state partners to identify the source of the messages. Based on the information available, there is currently no indication of a credible threat to members of the Clemson community.”
At least one Black journalist in Virginia also got the same text, prompting a response from Republican attorney general Jason Miyares, who condemned the messages and encouraged recipients who felt threatened to report the incident to local law enforcement and the FBI.
