Just hours after President-elect Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency last week, dozens of Black K-12 and college students across the country began receiving racist text messages telling recipients to ‘return to the plantation and pick cotton.’
Two of the messages surfaced in Jacksonville, Florida, both sent to teenagers who attend the city’s public schools. The texts were sent directly to the children’s phones, and authorities say they have no idea how the sender got the phone numbers — or how they knew the recipients were Black.
The mother of a 16-year-old tells Word In Black that the messages speak to the reason many minority communities are so fearful of a second Trump administration.
RELATED: Trump’s Coming for Our Schools. Educators Are Ready to Fight
“These racist texts are coordinated attacks aimed at intimidating and spreading fear among Black children and their families. They’re not just pro-racist, they are pro-Trump racist. And that’s even worse.” says the mother, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her son’s privacy.
Another Jacksonville parent, Charmaine Green, told Action News Jax that her 15-year-old son also received one of the disturbing messages. “I’m fearful because…who knows my son’s information?” Green said. “It’s so saddening that someone would take the time to send this type of message to anyone, let alone a 15-year-old.”
It is unclear who is behind the reported texts, how many people have received them, or how the recipients were targeted. The FBI said in a statement last week that it was “aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country.” The bureau also said it was in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter, and encouraged anyone else who received the messages to report it to their local authorities.
Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, said in a statement that the “campaign has absolutely nothing to do with these text messages.”
School Feels Less Like a Safe Place
Digital racism, like these texts, can have a noticeable psychological impact on Black students, many of whom already navigate disproportionate educational challenges. A 2022 Pew Research Report found that roughly 70% of Black teens ages 13 to 17 say online harassment and bullying are a major problem for people their age, compared with four in ten White teens.
The report also noted that an overwhelming majority of Black teens felt that elected officials, teachers, and law enforcement weren’t doing enough to address the problem.
Racial online harassment has also been linked to increased levels of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues among Black youth. A recent Journal JAMA Psychiatry study found Black teens who experience it are more likely to develop symptoms related to post-traumatic stress disorder — conditions that have a negative effect on a student’s academic achievement and an increase in chronic absenteeism.
The Jacksonville mother says when her 16-year-old son no longer felt safe going back to school and has left his phone with her ever since.
“He’s trying not to show it, but I know he’s fearful. I’m fearful. No one has answers,” she says. “His school hasn’t released a statement or said anything to us about it.”
The National Crisis of Digital Racism
According to CNN, the racist text messages targeting Black students were reported in at least 30 states, including Florida, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.
In Lower Merion, Pennsylvania, roughly six middle school students in different school districts reported receiving the texts. In Minnesota, they showed up on the phones of both K-12 and college students. Megan Shafer, acting superintendent of the Lower Merion School District in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, called the texts in a letter to parents,“extremely disturbing.”
RELATED: Racist Rumors, Bomb Threats, and Their Toll on Black Students
Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland said in a statement that some of its students received the texts and that “law enforcement in some areas have announced they consider the messages low-level threats” that can cause “profound” emotional and psychological impact “on our students, staff, and particularly our communities of color.”
“We stand in solidarity with those who feel targeted and hurt by these actions,” according to the statement.
The Trump Effect Is Real and Racist
The concerns over the racist texts echo The Trump Effect — a substantial increase in racially charged incidents following Trump’s political rise. The Southern Poverty Law Center’s 2016 report, “The Trump Effect: The Impact of The 2016 Presidential Election on Our Nation’s Schools,” highlighted the surge in racial bullying directly linked to Trump’s bigoted rhetoric during the presidential campaign.
Over 10,0000 educators reported heightened anxiety in the classroom, particularly among Black students, as well as an increase in derogatory language and harassment. Many students expressed concern about what might happen to them or their families after the election.
The report also noted that Trump’s first election had a profoundly negative impact on schools and students. Many educators reported that most Black students were terrified of the new president and were bullied into believing that they would be enslaved or “sent back to Africa.” Teachers and school officials say they struggled to help them feel safe.
Where Do We Go From Here?
For families like the Jacksonville mother, the hope is not only for law enforcement to identify and hold the responsible parties accountable, but that moving forward, everyone involved, including schools, prioritize outreach and support to help children like her son process these difficult experiences.
“It takes a village,” she says. “Our children deserve to move around in their schools and communities and feel secure, supported, and valued.”
The post Racist Texts Surge Post-Election Against Black Students appeared first on Word In Black.