Officials and universities in a growing number of U.S. states are condemning racist text messages sent this week to Black residents. The messages, which began appearing Wednesday, were received by people in at least 20 states and the District of Columbia, CBS News found.

There were a number of variations of the messages using similar language, telling the recipient that they had been “selected for cotton picking” or to become “a slave.” All texts included instructions, times and dates to “be ready” and references to being picked up in a van. Some included the recipient’s name or general location, according to the people who received the texts and screenshots reviewed by CBS News.

In a statement, the FBI said it was aware of “offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals across the country” and said it was in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson condemned the messages and said they represented “an alarming increase in vile and abhorrent rhetoric.”

Submissions were received across the country, including Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Ohio, Alabama, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, MarylandMissouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Michigan, MinnesotaConnecticut, California, Nevada, New York and Washington, D.C., CBS News found.

It is unclear who sent the messages or how many people were involved.

The text messages were sent from numbers with area codes in at least 25 different states and D.C., CBS News found. On Thursday, several numbers were disconnected, while others went to a voicemail that identified them as users of TextNow, a provider that lets people create phone numbers for free.

TextNow said in a statement that it “learned that one or more of our accounts may have been used to send text messages in violation of our Terms of Service,” adding that it terminated the accounts as soon as it became aware of them. had knowledge.

“We do not tolerate the use of our service to send harassing or spam messages and will work with authorities to prevent these people from doing so in the future.”

CBS News spoke to one of the people who sent a version of the text. The person, whose area code was linked to Fort Wayne, Indiana, said the message was a prank before abruptly ending the call. Subsequent requests for comment went unanswered.

Officials report widespread messages

The Virginia Attorney General’s Office told CBS News it is aware of these messages and “unequivocally condemns them,” urging recipients to contact local law enforcement and the FBI if they believe they are under threat. .

New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement, “Racist text messages targeting New Yorkers, including middle school, high school and college students, are disgusting and unacceptable,” and encouraged anyone who has them received one to report it to his office.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a video posted to social media: investigators in his state are investigating racist texts and emails and believe the emails and some texts came from a VPN originating in Poland.

The Atlanta Police Department in Georgia told CBS News it is aware of the texts and is not investigating at this time, but urged residents to report any suspicious messages.

At least 14 schools and universities reported that students had received the texts.

Clemson University South Carolina Police Department said they received reports that students received racist texts, while some black students at the University of Alabama also received these messages, according to the student newspaper.

Some Ohio State University students also received the texts, school spokesman Benjamin Johnson told CBS News. “We have reported the posts to the Office of Institutional Equity and are offering support services. We are aware that this is happening nationally,” Johnson said.

Lower Merion School District in Pennsylvania warned parents in a letter Thursday, college students received racist text messages. The school district did not characterize what the text messages said.

Montgomery County, Maryland, said in a letter to families and students that local law enforcement and the FBI were aware of the messages and that “law enforcement in some areas have announced that they considered these messages to be low-level threats.

Recipients describe fear

CBS News spoke with two Atlanta residents who said they received the messages. Devereaux Adams, 27, said he felt “scared and hurt” when he received the text Wednesday afternoon.

Adams said it’s “very confusing” because he can’t say where or how the person sending the text messages got his contact information. “I don’t feel safe at all,” Adams said.

Another Atlanta resident, Monet Miller, 29, said she was scared after receiving the messages. She said her friends in North Carolina also received the message.

“I knew it was a prank, but seeing this so soon after the election shook me. It just made me be more careful about my surroundings and the places I go,” Miller told CBS News.

Fort Lauderdale resident Corryn G. Freeman said she received a racist text message at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday from a local number she didn’t recognize. “It really sparked fear. It sparked anger. I believe they know I’m a black woman or a black person, which is why they would target me with this type of inflammatory racism,” Freeman said.

After announcing he received the message on social media, Freeman said two of his friends contacted him to say their children, both black, had received similar racist text messages.

“It’s not fair that they have to deal with this level of racism after an election they didn’t participate in. But because of anyone’s audacity after the election, they are in it submitted,” Freeman said.

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