In recent days, a series of racially charged text messages referencing slavery have sparked widespread concern across the United States. These anonymous messages, which have targeted Black individuals, including middle school students, have prompted investigations by the FBI and various state agencies.
The messages have been reported in multiple states, such as Alabama, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee, often sharing a similar tone, though the wording has varied. Some recipients were instructed to arrive at specific locations “with your belongings,” while others did not provide any location details. Some of the texts even alluded to the forthcoming presidential administration.
As investigations continue, the identity of the individuals behind the messages remains unknown, and a detailed account of all the areas affected has yet to be compiled. However, the messages have been received by students at both high school and college levels.
The FBI is collaborating with the Justice Department regarding these texts, and the Federal Communications Commission has announced it is actively investigating alongside federal and state law enforcement agencies. The Attorney General’s office in Ohio is also looking into the matter.
Tasha Dunham from Lodi, California, shared her concern after her 16-year-old daughter received one of the messages before a basketball practice. The text not only addressed her daughter by name but also directed her to report to a “plantation” in North Carolina, a place they have never lived. Upon investigating the address, they discovered it led to a museum.
“It was very disturbing,” Dunham expressed, highlighting the widespread fear that such messages create. While her daughter initially considered the message to be a prank, the charged atmosphere following the recent presidential election led the family to suspect more sinister motives, prompting them to alert local authorities.
Dunham reflected on the historical implications of the messages, stating, “I wasn’t in slavery. My mother wasn’t in slavery. But we’re a couple of generations away. So, when you think about how brutal and awful slavery was for our people, it’s awful and concerning.”
In Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, reports indicated that around six middle school students also received these alarming messages. Megan Shafer, acting superintendent of the Lower Merion School District addressed the troubling nature of such communications in a letter to parents, emphasizing the disturbing targets of children.
Major universities, including Clemson University in South Carolina and the University of Alabama, have reported similar incidents. Clemson Police confirmed they had received notifications regarding these “deplorable racially motivated text and email messages,” and urged individuals to report any such communications.
Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, a historically Black institution, described the targeted messages as “deeply unsettling,” calling for calm and reassuring students that the messages likely originated from bots or malicious sources lacking true intentions.
Nick Ludlum, a senior vice president with the trade organization CTIA representing the wireless industry, stated that providers are actively aware of these threatening spam texts and are working diligently to prevent them and block the numbers responsible.
David Brody, director of the Digital Justice Initiative at The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, mentioned that while the origin of the messages remains unclear, they have been disseminated across more than ten states, including many in the South, as well as Maryland, Oklahoma, and the District of Columbia. The Metropolitan Police Department of the District confirmed its intelligence unit is investigating these disturbing messages.
Brody pointed out that various civil rights laws can be applicable to hate-motivated incidents, and several civil rights organizations have condemned the messages. Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center, affirmed that “Hate speech has no place in the South or our nation.”
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson described the implications of the threats, stating that mentioning slavery in 2024 perpetuates a longstanding legacy of evil, undermining Black Americans’ right to pursue freedom and happiness. He emphasized, “These actions are not normal. And we refuse to let them be normalized.”
