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"You have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation," says a racist message circulating in several states.
Text messages telling Black Americans they’ve been “selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation” are circulating across the country in the wake of the presidential election.
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There have been reports of the messages going around in Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, and elsewhere.
“You have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation,” the message reads. “Be ready at 12 pm sharp [some give a different time] with your belongings. Our executive slaves will come get you in a brown van. Be prepared to be searched down once you’ve enter [sic] the plantation.”
Some of the messages are targeting college students. “Some students have received these hateful text messages,” Ohio State University spokesman Ben Johnson told The Columbus Dispatch. “We have reported the messages to the Office of Institutional Equity and are offering support services. We are aware that this is happening nationally.”
Students at Missouri State University in Springfield received them as well, and some were signed “Sincerely, a Trump supporter,” the Springfield News-Leaderreports.
“We are appalled by these acts of intimidation, which not only undermine our core values of equality and justice but also threaten the safety and well-being of our students in educational environments that should be inclusive and nurturing for all,” said a statement from Kai Sutton, president of the Springfield NAACP chapter.
The messages may be “part of a spoofing scam,” the Dispatch reports. “Spoofing makes it look like a call or text is coming from a known contact or local entity.” Some of the messages show numbers from land lines, which can’t send texts.
Sam Burwell, a photographer with TV station WVEC in Norfolk, Va., received one of the messages, as did his cousin in Richmond, the station reports. "I feel like it's a spam message [and] I do feel disappointed about the message they're sending a day after the election," he said.
There also have been messages “suggesting that white supremacist/KKK group members in Lexington, NC, are planning to target individuals from now until the Presidential Inauguration,” said a statement from the Newton County, Ga., Sheriff’s Department. “After consulting with our sources, including the FBI and GBI, we have found no credible evidence supporting these threats.”
Social media star RaeShanda Lias-Lockhart denounced the messages in an Instagram video. A "plantation" message was sent to her daughter, she said. “I told you all, it is who he empowers, it is who he emboldens,” she said, referring to Donald Trump. She doesn’t care if it’s a joke or a scam, she noted. “Nothing is funny,” she said, adding, “Go play with somebody else. Go play in traffic.”
Attorney generals' offices in several states are investigating. "The Attorney General's Office is aware of these text messages and unequivocally condemns them," said a statement from Virginia AG Jason Miyares's office. "Anyone who believes themselves to be under threat should not hesitate to contact local law enforcement and their local FBI field office by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (or 1-800-225-5324) or visiting FBI.gov/tips."
