Black students receive racist text message after election

Black students in several states reported receiving a racist text message from an anonymous number the day after the election.

The Southern Poverty Law Center is investigating the message received by students in Alabama and Georgia, it said Thursday in a news release.

The text message said the recipient has been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation, according to screenshots shared on social media and reported by local news outlets. Another message said the recipient has been selected to become a slave on Jan. 21, the day after the presidential inauguration.

“The text sent to young Black people, including students at Alabama State University and the University of Alabama, is a public spectacle of hatred and racism that makes a mockery of our civil rights history,” said Margaret Huang, SPLC president and CEO. “Hate speech has no place in the South or in our nation.”

Students received the text messages on Wednesday. Early that morning, The Associated Press declared Donald Trump the winner of the presidential election, capping off several contentious months of campaigning. Exit polls showed that 13% of Black voters cast their ballots for Trump in the election, the lowest percentage among any racial demographic group.

A 13-year-old DeKalb County student received a message Wednesday saying he was going to be a slave and pick cotton, Channel 2 Action News reported Thursday. The station said the FBI has been notified about messages to Black students in several states.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said his office is aware of the texts. Carr said in a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “This behavior is vile, and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Anyone threatened should immediately contact their local law enforcement agency.”

Spokespersons for Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College and the University of Georgia were not aware of any students receiving a similar messages when contacted Thursday afternoon by the AJC. A GBI spokeswoman was not aware of any investigation by the agency late Thursday.

Students at Clemson University and the University of South Carolina also have reported receiving similar messages, the Greenville News reported. Clemson police are investigating, and the University of South Carolina is coordinating with state and federal law enforcement agencies, the news outlet reported.

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