Federal officials are investigating racist text messages targeting black Americans throughout the country.
Residents in New York, Alabama, California, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Ohio have reported receiving hateful messages.
The FBI said in a statement that it is aware of the situation and is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities.
The anonymous messages told recipients that they had been selected to report to a plantation to pick cotton.
The texts, which have been widely shared on social media, varied in wording but had similar tones. Some of the texts instructed individuals to meet at a specific address with their belongings, while other messages did not provide a location.
Some texts mentioned the incoming administration.
California mother Tasha Dunham reported that her teenage daughter received the message the day after the election. The message, which even included her daughter’s name, instructed her to report to a plantation in North Carolina.
“It was very disturbing,” Dunham said. “Everybody’s just trying to figure out what does this all mean for me? So, I definitely had a lot of fear and concern.”
Nashville College on ‘High Alert’
Students at Fisk University, a historically black college in Nashville, received an alert from campus safety officials, telling students that it is on “high alert” following the matter.
“We are aware of disturbing and offensive messages circulating on social media, appearing to target members of our community,” the alert said. “These messages, which suggest threats of violence and intimidation, are deeply unsettling. But we can assure you that these are likely the work of an automated bot or malicious actors with no real intentions or credibility.”
Meanwhile, Ohio Attorney General David Yost announced that his office is looking into the “despicable messages” in a post on X.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill revealed that she directed the state’s Bureau of Investigation to look into the origins of the “disgusting texts,” which she said only intends to divide people.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) said the messages serve as a reminder that the struggle against racism and discrimination is far from over.
The FBI encouraged the public to report threats of physical violence to local law enforcement authorities.
Meanwhile, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) dismissed the situation, accusing the FBI of sending the messages. “It’s probably y’all sending them. Pack your bags,” he said.