Multiple federal and state authorities are investigating how racist email blasts were sent to Black people across the country after this week's presidential election.
Text messages invoking slavery were sent to black men, women, and children, leading to investigations by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
The anonymously sent messages were reported in multiple states, including New York, Alabama, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Tennessee.
The FBI said it has been in contact with the Justice Department about the messages, and the Federal Communications Commission said it is working with federal and state law enforcement agencies on the investigation.
“These messages are unacceptable,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement.
She said the agency takes “this type of targeting very seriously.”
Although the documents differed slightly, they all instructed recipients to “board buses” to be transported to “plantations” to work as slaves, officials said.
They said the messages were sent to school-age children and university students and caused significant distress.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said Thursday morning that the sender of the message used a VPN to hide its origin.
The Maryland Attorney General's Office said it has received multiple reports of racist text messages being sent to Black residents, including children.
In a news release Thursday night, officials said the messages appear to be part of a nationwide campaign targeting Black people in the wake of the election.
“These messages are horrifying, unacceptable, and unacceptable,” Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement.
Authorities asked recipients of the texts to report them to local law enforcement.
Brown said it was worrisome that children were included in datasets typically collected on adults, such as campaign donors and magazine subscribers.
“This is an intimidating and threatening use of technology and likely violates multiple laws,” Brown said.
“And our goal is to ensure all the facts are revealed and to use all available tools and resources to hold those behind these text messages accountable.”
Telephone service provider TextNow said “one or more accounts” were used to send racist text messages and immediately disabled them for violating its terms of service.
“As part of our investigation into these messages, we discovered that the messages were sent through multiple carriers across the United States. We are working with our partners and law enforcement to investigate this attack.” said in a statement Friday.
Major providers AT&T and Verizon both said this is an industry-wide issue and referred Friday's comment to industry groups.
The U.S. wireless industry has blocked thousands of texts and the numbers sending them,” said Nick Ludlum, senior vice president and chief communications officer at CTIA, a wireless communications industry organization.
“Through CTIA’s Secure Messaging Initiative, participants are identifying the platforms used by bad actors to send these messages and working with law enforcement on this issue.”
Nicole, a mother from North Carolina who asked that her last name not be used for professional reasons, said she was shaken and worried by the messages her high school daughter showed her Thursday night.
The email instructed her to prepare to return to the plantation.
Nicole said this was her daughter's first experience with this type of racism, and as a parent she didn't want to have these conversations with her children.
“It was like a slap in the face and shows that it's still an issue that hasn't changed at all,” she said.
Nicole said her daughter didn't say anything after the message, deleted it and went to sleep.
As for Nicole, she said she needs to sit down and process her emotions.
She said the situation was so shocking and unreal that she felt sad for her daughter.
“She has a lot of friends of different races. She doesn't see color, she doesn't know the difference. So for her, it's like, it really showed that not everyone is like her.” I feel like that,” Nicole said.
“Racism is still very visible in our country.”
Nicole said parents should be especially cautious with older children and have tough conversations even if they don't want to or feel like they have to.
“No matter how your child feels, approach it with open arms and be very accepting of it and just take it one day at a time.”
Several historically black college students received messages that were similar in tone but varied in presentation.
Dr. Robert Greene II, assistant professor of history at Claflin University, said he has heard from students and campus officials about the incident.
Green said he believes the timing of this mass message is intentional, as well as its focus on young black students.
“This is a way to tell college students, especially black students, that this is the world they live in now, and that this kind of overt racist intimidation is returning to the norm in American society and American politics.” said Mr. Green.
