Authorities are investigating a barrage of racist textual content messages despatched to Black individuals throughout the U.S. following Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory. Trump supporters shortly concocted a conspiracy concept concerning the texts, dismissing them as a hoax akin to Jussie Smollett staging a hate crime.
Black kids, school college students and younger professionals obtained marketing-style texts referencing slavery and “selecting cotton” from unknown cellphone numbers. The hateful messages instructed recipients to report back to their nearest plantation.
“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 mentioned in an announcement. “As at all times, we encourage members of the general public to report threats of bodily violence to native regulation enforcement authorities.”
NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson mentioned it was no coincidence these racist messages have been despatched after Trump’s win.
“The unlucky actuality of electing a president who, traditionally, has embraced and at occasions inspired hate, is unfolding earlier than our eyes,” Johnson declared. “These messages signify an alarming enhance in vile and abhorrent rhetoric from racist teams throughout the nation, who now really feel emboldened to unfold hate and stoke the flames of concern that many people are feeling after Tuesday’s election outcomes.”
Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries was one of many many public officers condemning the texts.
“Racist, vile and threatening textual content messages are being despatched to younger African-Individuals all through the nation, together with on school campuses,” he wrote on X (previously often called Twitter). “There are extremists in America who really feel empowered. We is not going to be intimidated by anybody.”
MAGA customers accused Jeffries and others of fabricating the story, labeling it a “Jussie Smollett hoax.” Smollett turned a trending matter on X as Trump supporters sought to deflect blame.
