Racist lyrics by Trump and KKK supporters urging Black people to “pick cotton” on plantations condemned by leaders

While the texts – sent before and after Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris on Tuesday – vary in language, lots of them indicate to recipients that they’ve been chosen to “pick cotton” on a plantation. Some messages include the recipients’ names and purport to be from the “Trump administration” or Trump supporters.

“Hello, you have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation. Be ready at 12:00 SHARP with your things,” we read in one of the text messages received by a Washington resident, reports a local TV station News4. “Our executive slaves will come pick you up in a black van. Be prepared to be searched upon entering (sic!) the plantation. You are in Plantation Group S.”

Another text message sent to a Virginia resident said the recipient could be a “house slave” at Arlington’s Abingdon Plantation, which is now a historic site on land shared with John Paul II National Airport. Ronald Reagan in Washington.

According to USA todaysimilar racist text messages were reported in Alabama, Georgia, Detroit, Michigan, Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina and South Carolina. Plantation texts also targeted college campuses, including Clemson University, Ohio State University, the University of Alabama, and others. Other text messages are like that warned threats from white supremacists and the Ku Klux Klan.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson condemned the emergence of racist text messages and placed a few of the blame squarely on Donald Trump, the president-elect.

“The unfortunate reality of electing a president with a history of condoning and at times encouraging hatred is unfolding before our eyes,” Johnson said in an announcement. “These messages represent an alarming increase in vile and disgusting rhetoric from racist groups across the country who now feel emboldened to spread hate and fan the flames of fear that many of us feel in the wake of Tuesday’s election results.”

Johnson continued: “The threat – and the mention of slavery in 2024 – is not only deeply disturbing, but perpetuates a legacy of evil that dates back to pre-Jim Crow era and now seeks to prevent Black Americans from enjoying the same freedom to pursue life , freedom and happiness.”

The civil rights leader said the NAACP – the nation’s oldest civil rights organization – wouldn’t allow such racist messages to be “normalized.” The NAACP alerted the FBI and local law enforcement to take racist plantation text messages seriously and “respond appropriately.”

Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center, condemned the messages geared toward Black Americans as “a public spectacle of hate and racism that makes a mockery of our civil rights history.”

Huang added: “Leaders in any respect levels must condemn anti-Black racism, in any form, every time we see it, and we must follow up our words with actions that advance racial justice and construct an inclusive democracy where every body feels protected and welcome community in your country.”

“This is something this president and vice chairman have done for the (last) three and a half years. We understand how vulnerable communities may feel, and it is important that we accomplish that,” Biden’s spokesman said.

Jean-Pierre said Biden wants to “set an example” in the ultimate 74 days of his term.

“That’s why we keep talking in regards to the peaceful transfer of power. That’s why we keep talking in regards to the importance of the electoral system and its results, because he thinks it is important,” she added.

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