Summary

Racist text messages invoking slavery were anonymously sent to Black individuals across several U.S. states, sparking investigations by the FBI, FCC, and local law enforcement.

The messages, received in states like New York, Alabama, and California, varied in wording but shared a disturbing tone, with some directing recipients to report to specific locations.

Civil rights groups, including the NAACP and Southern Poverty Law Center, condemned the messages, calling them deeply disturbing and perpetuating a legacy of evil.

Wireless providers are working to block the messages, which officials believe could be the work of bots or malicious actors.

    • Eldritch@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      10
      ·
      2 months ago

      I think it’s important to point out that this is more terrifying than it looks on the face of it. Think about it for a minute. Mass text messages going out in multiple Municipal areas harassing women of color. This ain’t your grandpappies racists. Your Average bigoted Yokel doesn’t have access to the technology to do that or the information to do that. And seeing as the FBI is on the table to be gutted soon. I don’t expect much from the investigation. And even if something comes out and they try to claim it is a single isolated person with administrator access at one of the major carriers. I would consider them more Patsy than anything. That a company would play fast and loose with that kind of access and data. Is a company that shouldn’t be allowed to exist. This should be a wake-up call to everyone to get their privacy fucking sorted. The Gestapo is watching.

  • sp3ctr4l@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    48
    ·
    2 months ago

    Republicans: “Well, who else is gonna work the fields after we deport all the Mexicans?”

  • Chozo@fedia.io
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    39
    ·
    2 months ago

    We saw an uptick in this sort of bullshit back in 2016, too. Racists and bigots feel emboldened under Trump. Get ready for more targeted harassment like this, and for nothing to be done about it.

  • PunnyName@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    26
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    2 months ago

    Call me melodramatic, but I’m honestly surprised there aren’t roving bands of armed white dudes with trucker hats and wrap-around sunglasses in every neighborhood at this point. Maybe Jan 21, but I won’t be alive to know.

    • grue@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      27
      ·
      2 months ago

      but I won’t be alive to know.

      Never kill yourself for something that’s somebody else’s fault.

      • PunnyName@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        2 months ago

        Meh

        I don’t want to deal with 4 years of constant panic attacks every day. Again.

        • theangryseal@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          2 months ago

          Like others said, anti anxiety meds, avoid the internet. Also, get yourself a musical instrument and dive into creativity. You won’t be sad that you did that.

          I’d hate to have to tell your ghost that a week after you died there was a plane crash that changed everything or something.

          You don’t know what’s going to happen and I promise you, you’ll die eventually if you just hang in there.

          If I had pulled the trigger when I wanted to in 2017, I would have missed the most wonderful time of my life so far and by a long shot.

          I still have the only gun I’ve ever owned. I’m probably gonna bury that bad boy soon, give it a little grave. Can’t sell it, it’s one of the worst reviewed firearms made in the last 40 years and no one who cares would dream of buying it.

          Good luck.

    • Cethin@lemmy.zip
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      13
      ·
      2 months ago

      Giving up gives them power, and leaves others behind who you could help. Yeah, it sucks he won, but it’s not over. Don’t let them take everything for free.

      Thats not mentioning there are certainly people who care about you in the world. You may not even understand what you mean to them.

      If you’re contemplating suicide over this, seek help. It’s not worth it.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      2 months ago

      988 is the national suicide prevention hotline and it is going 24 hours a day. But even if you won’t call it, let me tell you a story. It is a story I have never told before and only the people who were there know it happened:

      10 years ago, I was diagnosed with atypical trigeminal neuralgia. It is known as the suicide disease because of the intensity of the pain. I was also on various opioid medications that a doctor was putting me on in the hopes of helping me (none did) and I apparently have some sort of reaction to opioids that makes me pretty psychotic if I take them for more than a week.

      Anyway, I got in a big fight with my mother while I was visiting her and I decided to hang myself.

      I won’t go into the specific details, but let’s say that I was saved by a light fixture that was not very well anchored to the ceiling.

      And almost every day since then I have regretted it. No matter how bad things have gotten, I realized all the people who would have been hurt by me doing it and I have yet to get over that guilt. Maybe I never will.

      I firmly believe that there is no afterlife. This is all we’ve got. Do not check out early even if it’s hard now. It might not be as hard later. Eventually I found the right medication and I am not in the severe pain I used to be in most of the time.

      Meanwhile, now I’m dealing with another major illness and again, it’s been really hard. But this time I’m sticking with it and I’m going to get better.

      Similarly, I had a plan before Trump won in case he did and now it’s being put into action. It’s not too late for you to make one. One that doesn’t involve what you’re thinking of doing.

  • jordanlund@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    10
    ·
    2 months ago

    I think the only correct response to a text message like this is:

    “Thank you for scheduling in advance, see you there!”

    Followed by photos of large guns.

    • x00z@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      2 months ago

      Can be anybody really:

      • White people being racist
      • Republicans separating the country to have a problem to fix
      • Democrats to show how Trump will ruin the US
      • Other countries trying to destabilize the US
      • Black people getting other black people mad to start a “race war”
      • US Government because they want more anti privacy measures
      • Jacob Wohl
  • RangerJosie@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 month ago

    Slavery is already a thing. Happens all the time. All over this country. It never ended, today it’s big billion dollar business.

    Anyone thinking it won’t intensify under Chump is delusional.