Racist text messages referring to ‘cotton’ sent to many Black people

After Donald Trump won the election, many Black people across the country reported receiving a racist message from an unknown sender, according to news accounts and screenshots posted on social media.

Mashable confirmed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation that the agency has learned about these reports.

“The FBI is aware of offensive and racist messages being sent to people across the country and is in contact with the Department of Justice and other authorities regarding this matter,” the FBI said in a statement to Mashable.

The text message, with slight variations but the same content, told the recipient that he had been selected to “pick cotton from nearby fields.” It also instructed the recipients to be ready with their belongings at a certain time, and wait for a car to pick them up. One version of the message congratulates the recipient and is signed “a Trump supporter.”

Reports on social media revealed that black students at the University of Alabama, Clemson, and Alabama State received this message. Benjamin Johnson, vice president of media and public relations at Ohio State University, confirmed to Mashable that students received the message.

The Tweet may have been deleted

Johnson said the messages were reported to the university’s Office of Institutional Equity, which handles complaints about harassment and discrimination. The university also offered support to students who received the document.

FOX 2 in Detroit reported that black women in the area had received the text, and FOX 5 in Atlanta received similar reports.

It is not yet clear who is sending the messages. After Trump’s 2016 election, there was an increase in the number of “hate incidents,” according to tracking done at the time by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The FBI told Mashable that it encourages members of the public to report threats of physical abuse to local authorities.