CLEVELAND — The Ohio Attorney General's Office is investigating reports of racist text messages sent to Black Americans in Ohio and college students across the country.
A text message was sent to people the day after Election Day, asking them to report to a plantation to pick cotton.
The wording of the messages varies slightly and comes from different numbers, but is generally worded as such:
"Greetings,
"You have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation. Be ready at 12 pm sharp with your belongings. Our executive slaves will come get you in a brown van. Be prepared to be searched down once you've enter the plantation. You are in plantation group W."
Colleges across the country received reports from students receiving similar text messages, including Clemson University, Missouri State University, and University of Alabama. A spokesperson for the Ohio State University said some students have received the "disparaging text messages."
"We have reported the messages to the Office of Institutional Equity and are offering support services. We are aware that this is happening nationally," the spokesperson told 10TV in Columbus.
3News spoke with Corryn Freeman, executive director of the nonprofit Future Coalition. She told us she felt "scared" upon receiving the messages.
"We all get spammy text messages, but nothing that inflammatory," Freeman said. "People, some of whom not even old enough to vote, are feeling the consequences of such a tense political time in our country and (are) having to reckon on their own with race. It's not fair, it's not just."
The FBI says it is aware of the messages but "can neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation." They asked anyone receiving them to report them to authorities, with a similar message coming from Ohio AG Dave Yost's team.
"We are aware of these messages and are looking into it," Yost's office said. "Anyone who receives one should report it to local law enforcement."
WKYC also received a statement from Cleveland NAACP President Kayla Griffin, which read:
"Racism and bigotry are not new, but the platforms and tools used to spread them are. While vile and despicable, online trolls will not scare or deter us. Racists may feel emboldened in this moment, but let there be no mistake — hatred ultimately corrupts those who wield it. We can't control what people do, but we can and will advocate for data and technological justice. This is a crucial extension of our mission and the work that we will continue to uplift."