MARYLAND - Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown is asking anyone who received a racist text message that was reportedly sent to Black Americans nationwide this week to notify authorities.
According to the Attorney General, the texts came from an unknown sender and appear to be part of a campaign targeting Black people in the wake of the 2024 election. School-aged and college students were among the recipients, the Attorney General says.
The AG’s office says there are numerous variants of the text but all contain similar language. WBOC has been made aware of recipients in the Cambridge area. The text reads as follows:
“Greetings, You have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation. Be ready at 2PM sharp with all your belongings. The executive slaves will come pick you up in a brown van, be prepared to be searched down upon arrival to the plantation. You are in plantation group A.”
The Attorney General says his office has received multiple reports of Black Marylanders receiving these messages and asks anyone who has to report it to their local law enforcement agency. Reports of hate messages will be tracked and sent to the AG’s office. A complaint can be filed with the Civil Rights Division here or with the Maryland Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention here.
“These messages are horrific, unacceptable, and will not be tolerated. If you have been sent one of these texts, I am asking for you to please come forward and report it,” said Attorney General Brown. “I am committed to protecting the rights of all Marylanders. There is no home for hate in Maryland.”
