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    • Authorities investigate mass racist texts sent to Black Americans
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    Authorities investigate mass racist texts sent to Black Americans

    Harry Posted on

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    State and federal authorities are investigating the widespread dissemination of racist text messages to Black Americans in several states, including Ohio.

    messages vary but follow the same basic scenario; Tell the recipients that they will be picked up, taken to a plantation, and assigned to pick cotton.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation said in XIt was stated that Twitter, formerly known as Twitter, was in communication with the US Department of Justice and other federal authorities.

    Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost told X his office was reviewing the text messages. “Others do not have a First Amendment right over your phone, and free speech does not protect telephone harassment,” he said.

    A service blocked messages

    TextSpot, a mass messaging service based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has flagged an attempt to send racist messages through its platform.

    “An attempt was made, but no messages were sent through our system,” TextSpot CEO Lance Beaudry said.

    A new user registered with TextSpot on November 6 with the name “Amy Jones” and account phone number with area code 215. The user attempted to send a message to a number with the number 215 and the Wisconsin area code.

    The message included the phrases “be prepared to be searched” and “pick cotton from the nearest field.”

    TextSpot uses artificial intelligence to flag potential issues, especially from new accounts, Beaudry said. Not all instant text software platforms do this, he said.

    Beaudry forwarded the information to the Grand Rapids Police Department in Michigan.

    More:Racist fake text messages are spamming Black Americans in the US. Here’s what you need to know about fraud

    Racist text messages across Ohio used Ohio area codes, but some numbers were linked to out-of-service lines. Beaudry said senders’ efforts to use local area codes could indicate it’s a spoofing scam.

    Beaudry said his team told him that targeting specific demographic groups, such as Black Americans, could be done by obtaining the leaked data.

    Racist messages condemned

    NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said: a written statement There is no room for hatred in democracy.

    “The threat — and the mention of slavery in 2024 — is not only deeply troubling, it perpetuates a legacy of evil that predates the Jim Crow era and now seeks to prevent Black Americans from enjoying the same freedom to pursue lives of freedom and happiness,” Johnson said. “These actions are not normal. We refuse to allow them to be normalized.”

    Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio..

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