SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Starting the day after Election Day, Black Americans across nearly a dozen states have received texts telling them they have been selected to become a slave.
These texts have been reported in South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Washington D.C. Texas, Kansas, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Maryland and Alabama as of Thursday.
WSAV acquired one of these text messages from a viewer in Savannah, informing a 16-year-old that she would "be picked up in a white van with Trump Representative from your area."
Not every message is exactly the same, but most use the same talking points: they inform the recipient that they have been selected to be a slave at their nearest plantation and that they should gather their belongings and wait to be picked up in a van.
"While I disagree with Trump's behavior, that does not justify the use of racial profiling against African Americans by the senders of these unnecessary text messages in the aftermath of the election," Shante Brown said. Brown's daughter received a text message similar to the other viewer.
WSAV reached out the Georgia Attorney General's Office regarding the messages. They said that they had just been informed about the texts and did not have a statement Thursday afternoon at the time of publication.
WSAV contacted the Savannah Police Department to inquire if anyone else reported receiving messages in Savannah. This is an ongoing story, and we will update you when we have more information.
