Racist text messages are targeting Black Americans across the country, telling them they've been selected to be enslaved and forced to pick cotton on a plantation. Screenshots of the widespread messages, signed off by someone claiming to be a supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, are being reported to authorities and posted on social media sites

"Congratulations! you have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation," reads one version of the messages. "Please be prepared to leave your home November 24, 2024 you will be picked up at 8am sharp in our white van. Also you will sit with Group C Have a nice day. Sincerely, A TRUMP SUPPORTER"

Students appear to be among the targeted recipients. Mary Banks of Columbus, Ohio, told the Columbus Dispatch that her 16-year old daughter and some of her friends received messages that included their names[…]
Recipients have been calling friends and family to learn that they had also received the messages. "I have a cousin up in Richmond who received the same text message, but I found it weird that in my text message, it had a different group number than his, and they both had our names," said Sam Burwell, a photographer for Virginia television station 13NewsNow