Black individuals throughout the nation report receiving racist 'cotton' texts

Within the wake of Donald Trump’s election victory, quite a few Black individuals throughout the nation reported receiving a racist textual content message from an unknown sender, in keeping with information accounts and screenshots shared on social media.

Mashable confirmed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation that the company had realized of such stories.

“The FBI is conscious of the offensive and racist textual content messages despatched to people across the nation and is in touch with the Justice Division and different federal authorities on the matter,” the FBI stated in a press release to Mashable.

The textual content message, which had slight variations however comparable content material, informed the recipient that they’d been chosen to “decide cotton on the nearest plantation.” It additionally directed recipients to be prepared with their belongings at a sure time, and to attend for a automobile to choose them up. One model of the message congratulates the recipient and is signed by a “Trump supporter.”

Social media stories indicated that Black college students on the College of Alabama, Clemson, and Alabama State acquired the message. Benjamin Johnson, assistant vp of media and public relations at The Ohio State College, confirmed to Mashable that college students had additionally acquired the textual content message.

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Johnson stated the messages had been reported to the college’s Workplace of Institutional Fairness, which handles complaints associated to harassment and discrimination. The college has additionally provided assist to college students who acquired the textual content.

FOX 2 in Detroit reported that Black girls within the space had acquired the textual content, and FOX 5 in Atlanta acquired comparable stories.

It’s unclear at this level who’s sending the messages. Following Trump’s 2016 election, there was a spike in “hate incidents,” in keeping with monitoring carried out on the time by the Southern Poverty Regulation Heart.

The FBI informed Mashable that it encourages members of the general public to report threats of bodily violence to native legislation enforcement authorities.