The NAACP civil rights group and the White Home condemned racist textual content messages referencing slavery that have been despatched anonymously to Black People this week as a contentious US election drew to an in depth in america. The messages urged recipients in a number of states, together with Alabama, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia, to report back to a plantation to select cotton, the NAACP mentioned on Thursday.
The message is an offensive reference to previous enslavement of Black individuals in america.
Highschool and school college students have been among the many recipients, the Related Press reported. Some college districts warned college students in regards to the racist messages and urged them to report any such texts obtained to highschool employees or native authorities.
Federal and state authorities have been investigating, the White Home mentioned on Friday. The FBI mentioned it was in contact with the US Justice Division and different federal authorities in regards to the offensive, racist messages. “These actions aren’t regular. And we refuse to allow them to be normalized,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson mentioned in an announcement from the group, which advocates for racial justice and rights for Black People.
Johnson mentioned the messages have been a mirrored image of Republican Donald Trump’s presidential election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, on Tuesday, which despatched shockwaves by way of Black American communities.
Many Black People say they anticipate a rollback of civil rights after Trump pledged to finish federal variety and inclusion packages.
A spokesperson for the president-elect didn’t instantly reply to requests for touch upon Thursday and Friday. The president-elect denies he’s racist and has mentioned his financial agenda will profit all People.
An exit ballot performed by Edison Analysis on Election Day confirmed Harris profitable 85% of the Black vote nationwide whereas Trump gained 13%, up 1 share level from a exit ballot in 2020 when he misplaced to Joe Biden.
“We strongly condemn these hateful messages and anybody focusing on People primarily based on their ethnicity or background,” Robyn Patterson, a White Home spokesperson for President Joe Biden mentioned in an announcement on Friday.
“Racism has no place in our nation. Interval.”
The run-up to Tuesday’s election included the largest rise in US political violence for the reason that Seventies, together with some racist assaults on Harris supporters, based on instances recognized by Reuters.
Harris, the primary lady of shade on the prime of a significant celebration ticket, additionally confronted private assaults, together with by Trump, over her race and gender.
