For those of us who are terrified by another Donald Trump presidency, itâs not just because of him, his policies, or even his rhetoric. Itâs partially because of the people who are emboldened by him. Trump has proven that racism, sexism, and mean-spiritedness donât exclude you from success. In fact, it can get you to the highest office in the land.
His supporters often follow his example, spreading similar messages of hate believing that, under Trumpâs rules, they will be protected no matter how vile their behavior. Even though Trump has yet to take office, his name is already being used for evil. Kids are reportedly getting random racist texts.
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It's only been a few days since Trump's presidential win was announced, and the hate is already running rampant.
 Several Black mothers have claimed that their children have received racist text messages about “picking cotton.”
One of the messages, shared by a child’s mother on Instagram, reads as follows: âGreetings, You have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation. Be ready tomorrow 5PM SHARP. Do not bring your devices you will not need them. Our executive slaves will come get you in a brown van, be prepared to be searched on arrival.â
Some messages mention Trump specifically.
Dianna Williams, coach of the popular dance troupe The Dancing Dolls, featured on the Lifetime show bearing the same name, shared a message her son received. Unlike the previous example, this one included Trumpâs name. It read: âGood evening Cobe Williams. Our 2024 presidential elect, Donald J Trump has scheduled you for the weekend cotton picking shiftâŚBe prepared and ready to pick diligently.â
In a statement, Trumpâs presidential campaign spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, wrote: [the] âcampaign has absolutely nothing to do with these text messages,â CNN reported.
The messages appear to be coming from TextNow.
Children werenât the only targets of this racism. Black college students and other working professionals in more than a dozen states, including New York, Nevada, and Washington, DC, also have received these type of messages from unrecognized phone numbers. The attorneys general from both parties have condemned the messages and vowed to find their senders.
Right now, authorities are unclear about the senderâs identity and how many people may have received the messages. They do know that a large chunk of messages appear to have been sent by TextNow, an app that offers free calling and messaging, in a âcoordinated attack.â
âAs soon as we became aware, our Trust & Safety team acted quickly,â TextNow shared in a statement, CNN reported.
Now, the Justice Department and the FBI have gotten involved. âThe FBI is aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country and is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter,â the agency said in a statement Thursday.
Black students are starting to travel in groups to protect themselves.
Alysa, a freshman at the University of Alabama, cried when she read the message saying she was selected to pick cotton. âItâs eerie that itâs the day after the election,â her mother, Arleta McCall, told CNN. âItâs eerie that it came to my daughterâs personal phone. Itâs eerie that itâs only going to Black students. Her group of friends have mapped out their paths to class so they can walk together and keep each other safe.â
Gabriel Shoglow-Rubenstein, a spokesperson for the Washington, DC, attorney generalâs office said, âAnyone receiving these messages should contact our civil rights section by calling 202-727-3400 or emailing [email protected],” the news outlet reported.
