Court filings or public announcements from civil rights organizations

FBI Investigates Racist Texts Instructing Black Americans to 'Pick Cotton at Plantation' Post-Election

Nov 8, 2024, 02:15 AM

Racist text messages invoking slavery and referencing cotton-picking have been anonymously sent to Black individuals, including school-aged children and middle schoolers, across the United States in the days immediately following the 2024 presidential election. Recipients reported receiving the messages in multiple states such as Alabama, California, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and others. The messages, often containing threats or derogatory language, instructed recipients to report to plantations or included explicit quotes like 'Greetings! You have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation.' Some messages referenced the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) or claimed to be from 'A Trump supporter.' Federal and local authorities, including the FBI and state attorneys general, have acknowledged the incidents and initiated investigations into the source of the messages. The FBI released a statement confirming awareness of the offensive communications and encouraged the public to report threats of violence. The Attorney General of Maryland urged recipients to report the texts to authorities. Civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, have condemned the messages, emphasizing their harmful impact on Black communities. Educational institutions have alerted families after students received the texts. The incidents have raised alarms about racially motivated harassment and have prompted calls for swift action to identify and prosecute those responsible.