FBI Launches Investigation After Racist Texts Targeting Black Americans Spread Across US Following Election
FBI Launches Investigation: Following the recent presidential election, disturbing racist text messages referencing slavery and “picking cotton” have flooded the phones of Black Americans across more than a dozen states, including California, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and North Carolina. This series of anonymous, hate-filled texts has raised widespread alarm and led the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch a probe into what authorities are describing as a “coordinated attack.” Civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, are condemning these vile messages, calling them a disturbing resurgence of racial intimidation.
Anonymous Texts Spark Fear, Direct Recipients to “Plantations”
The messages often contain offensive references, instructing recipients to report to a “plantation” or to board a bus to an undisclosed location. Some reports indicate children as young as middle school students are among those targeted, with one 16-year-old girl in California receiving a message directing her to report to a North Carolina “plantation.” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill reported that whoever is responsible is using anonymizing software to hide their location, adding another layer of complexity to the investigation.
FCC and Tech Companies Respond Amid Federal and State Investigations
TextNow, a popular messaging platform implicated in some of these messages, told CNN it is actively cooperating with the investigation and has begun monitoring patterns to block any new accounts attempting to perpetuate these messages. TextNow affirmed, “We do not tolerate or condone the use of our service to send harassing or spam messages and will work with the authorities to prevent these individuals from doing so in the future.”
The FCC, alongside federal and state law enforcement, is involved in the investigation to determine the origins and prevent further messages from being sent. Law enforcement and civil rights leaders fear this is a part of a broader, hate-fueled campaign to intimidate Black Americans following the election results.
NAACP and Civil Rights Organizations Condemn the Racist Campaign
Leaders from civil rights groups, including NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson, expressed outrage over these racially charged messages. “There is no place for hate in a democracy,” Johnson stated in a press release, condemning the hateful language and references to slavery. The Southern Poverty Law Center also released a statement labeling the messages as “deeply disturbing” and calling on officials to bring those responsible to justice.
The investigation remains ongoing as the FBI, DOJ, and civil rights advocates continue their efforts to halt this wave of digital intimidation and prevent similar incidents from occurring.
