US Authorities Launch Probe Over Text Messages Invoking Slavery Of Black People
Washington, DC, US: The US is investigating reports of Black people across the country receiving text messages invoking slavery. The issue came up after Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election. More than a dozen people in the country, including states like California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, North Carolina, Virginia, and Alabama, reported receiving racist messages.
As per local media reports and social media posts, the wording of the messages varies but follows the same basic script of telling the recipient they have been “selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation.”
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Some of the texts were labelled as coming from a “Trump supporter” or included the hashtag, #MAGA – a political slogan popularised by Trump during his bid to win the election).
Frances Carmona, a Native American woman in Grand Rapids, Michigan, told local media that her 15-year-old niece had received one of the messages, which said she should be ready to be “searched and patted down once inside of the plantation.”
“Upset is an understatement,” Carmona was quoted as saying by WOOD-TV, an NBC affiliate.
“I don’t know what’s happening. I knew things were going to happen after the election, but not the day after. You know, it is kind of scary. It’s frightening,” said Carmona. She said “upset could be an understatement.”
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In a statement released, the FBI said it was aware of the messages and was in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities.
“As always, we encourage members of the public to report threats of physical violence to local law enforcement authorities,” read the statement.
The Federal Communications Commission said it was investigating the texts in conjunction with federal and state law enforcement.
Attorneys general from a few of the named states also confirmed that they were looking into the matter.
