11/10/2024 7:38:43 AM
(MENAFN) Black Americans across the country, particularly students, have reported receiving racist text messages threatening them with forced labor, including being sent to “plantations to pick cotton.” According to *The Washington Post*, these disturbing messages were received in at least a dozen states, prompting investigations by the FBI and local authorities.
The texts, which primarily targeted Black college students, included threats of being picked up and taken to a plantation. Alyse McCall, an 18-year-old student at the University of Alabama, was one of the recipients, describing the message as “terrifying.” Her mother, Arleta, expressed concern over the apparent rise in public racism.
The FBI confirmed its awareness of the incident and stated it is in contact with the Justice Department. Civil rights groups have raised alarms over potential privacy breaches, fearing that the personal information used to send the messages may have been mishandled or exploited, possibly by political campaigns or contractors. Some of the texts allegedly claimed an affiliation with President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign, but his team has strongly denied any connection, calling the suggestion “asinine.”
The investigation into the source of the texts is ongoing, and authorities have not yet identified those responsible for the messages, which have spread beyond college campuses to high school students in some states.
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