Following the Presidential election, there have been widespread reports of anonymous, racially-charged text messages being circulated among African-Americans throughout the United States. These unsolicited texts demand compliance with unpaid, manual labour and have triggered investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) alongside other law enforcement bodies. The content of these messages comes across as disturbingly threatening, directed personally at the recipient, and obliges them to appear at specific locations with their possessions.
Individuals from various states have brought these alarming messages to the notice of authorities. Reports have arrived from each coast, tracing a widespread network from New York to California, and across the Southern states. The timing of these incidents, in the immediate aftermath of the declaration of former President Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, has raised eyebrows, with many proposing that this may not be a mere coincidence.
In a number of instances, these unlawful texts didn’t shy away from identifying the recipient by their names explicitly, and proceeded to assign them a precise location and timing ‘to report with their belongings’. Additionally, individuals have reported texts invoking the name of the newly elected presidential administration, exacerbating the alarm around this issue.
The reality of these despicable events came to light with their confirmation by the Attorney General of New York, Letitia James. In an official statement, she validated that these intimidating messages are reaching not just adults but underage students across various education levels including middle school, high school, and college in New York City and its vicinities.
Letitia James has publicly aired her concern at the magnitude and monstrosity of these events. Drawing attention to the glaring culpability, she has prominently lambasted these text messages, denouncing them as ‘detestable and intolerable’. The high-ranking official has thus schoolchildren and young students being subjected to such heinous experiences.
Strong condemnation of this deeply offensive campaign also came from the President and CEO of the NAACP, Derrick Johnson. His public spat of disappointment and concern has amplified the gravity of the situation. Johnson communicated his sentiments that these racially bigoted messages are likely instigated and exacerbated by the aftermath of Trump’s recent electoral success.
In response to this spiraling concern, the FBI released an official communique affirming their cognizance of the rampant circulation of racially offensive text messages around the country. Their statement confirmed ongoing active collaboration with the Justice Department and other federal authorities to get to the bottom of the matter.
The crisis has drawn attention to deeper issues in our society – racial discrimination, prejudice, and the impact of divisive politics. While solving the immediate problem is of utmost priority, it has also become clear that a broader conversation concerning the systemic prejudice and subconscious biases that persist in modern American society is long overdue.
The event underlines the insidious new ways in which hate crime is leveraging digital means to make its impact. It has inadvertently made a compelling case for an increasingly threatening digital landscape that breeds and disseminates hate, thus necessitating the need for more stringent cyber security measures.
Across the country, one message is coming through loud and clear – such threatening, racially charged acts of hate cannot continue with impunity. As citizens, it’s imperative that we all stand together against substances of hate and division, whether perpetrated in the public square or distributed anonymously through digital communications.