x
Breaking News
More () »

Kentucky youth also reportedly receive 'racist' text message telling Black people to pick cotton at plantations

Text messages referencing slavery and cotton picking have circulated to young Black people in several states including Kentucky, FBI Louisville said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — "Offensive and racist" texts are being sent around the nation to Black Americans, and FBI Louisville confirmed on Saturday that they are also being sent to Kentuckians.

Community leaders said the references to slavery and cotton picking are "horrifying."

The messages often address the recipient by first name and they are anonymous.

Community leaders said the texts started circulating on Wednesday.

"There are young Black boys and girls being terrorized on the heels of this election on the basis of race," Louisville Urban League President and CEO Lyndon Pryor said.

Pryor said the messages were sent after an Election Day that was at the helm of a divisive presidential race.

"The idea that this type of hatred would be present in the immediate aftermath is not terribly surprising," Pryor said.

Credit: WHAS-TV
Lyndon Pryor, Louisville Urban League President and CEO

Raoul Cunningham, president of Louisville NAACP, told Louisville's Black community to remember basic principles.

"Those principles and morals that got us through slavery and got us through Jim Crow," Cunningham said. 

He gave a positive call to action.

"Go back to the hymn of the civil rights movement: We shall overcome," Cunningham said. "This should not deter us, this should make us stronger." 

ABC News confirmed that the text messaging app, "TextNow," that was used to create fake phone numbers has shut down at least one account that allegedly sent some texts.

Credit: Louisville Urban League
A copy of a text message many Black youth have reportedly received the day after the 2024 General Election.

In a statement, FBI Louisville said "FBI Louisville is aware of offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country, including in Kentucky, and is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter."

FBI Louisville said if you have received a text of that nature report it to IC3.gov.

It is unknown how many messages were received in Louisville.

The FBI is investigating nationally.

► Contact reporter Alexandra Goldberg at agoldberg@whas11.comX or Instagram. 

Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.  

Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, or visit our Facebook page or X feed 

Before You Leave, Check This Out