Racist text messages referencing ‘cotton’ sent to numerous Black people

In the wake of Donald Trump’s election victory, numerous Black people across the country reported receiving a racist text message from an unknown sender, according to news accounts and screenshots shared on social media.

Mashable confirmed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation that the agency had learned of such reports.

“The FBI is aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country and is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter,” the FBI said in a statement to Mashable.

The text message, which had slight variations but similar content, told the recipient that they’d been selected to “pick cotton at the nearest plantation.” It also directed recipients to be ready with their belongings at a certain time, and to wait for a vehicle to pick them up. One version of the message congratulates the recipient and is signed by a “Trump supporter.”

Social media reports indicated that Black students at the University of Alabama, Clemson, and Alabama State received the message. Benjamin Johnson, assistant vice president of media and public relations at The Ohio State University, confirmed to Mashable that students had also received the text message.

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Johnson said the messages had been reported to the university’s Office of Institutional Equity, which handles complaints related to harassment and discrimination. The university has also offered support to students who received the text.

FOX 2 in Detroit reported that Black women in the area had received the text, and FOX 5 in Atlanta received similar reports.

It is unclear at this point who is sending the messages. Following Trump’s 2016 election, there was a spike in “hate incidents,” according to tracking conducted at the time by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The FBI told Mashable that it encourages members of the public to report threats of physical violence to local law enforcement authorities.