Several federal and state agencies are investigating how racist mass texts were sent to Black people across the country in the wake of the presidential election this week.
Several federal and state agencies are investigating how racist mass texts were sent to black people across the country in the wake of the presidential election this week.
The text messages invoking slavery were sent to black men, women and children, prompting inquiries by the FBI and other law enforcement departments.
The anonymously sent messages were reported in several states, including New York, Alabama, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Tennessee.
The FBI said it has communicated with the Justice Department about the messages, and the Federal Communications Commission said it is investigating alongside federal and state law enforcement.
“These messages are unacceptable,” said a statement from FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel.
She said the agency takes “this type of targeting very seriously.”
While the texts varied somewhat, they all instructed recipients to “board a bus” that would transport them to a “plantation” to work as slaves, officials said.
They said the messages were sent to school-aged children and college students, causing significant distress.
Whoever sent the messages used a VPN to obscure their origin, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said Thursday morning.
The Maryland Attorney General’s Office said it had received multiple reports of racist text messages being sent to black residents, including children.
In a news release Thursday night, officials said the messages appear to be part of a nationwide campaign targeting black people in the wake of the election.
“These messages are horrific, unacceptable, and will not be tolerated,” Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement.
