ROCHESTER, Minn. – “I read the message and my first reaction was ‘oh my God,’” said Tawonda Burks, a Rochester business owner and mother of five.
Thousands of black residents inside at least 19 other states have received racist messages in recent days, with many of them saying the person was “selected to pick cotton” or become “a slave.”
“I’m glad my six-year-old couldn’t fully read and understand what that message was,” Burks said.
The anonymous messages have also spread to schools across the country, including students at schools in St. Paul and Hopkins.
In a letter to families, the superintendent of Hopkins Public Schools said:
“Dear families,
Our country is facing a period of significant division, and the recent elections have stirred a range of emotions. While Hopkins Public Schools is nonpartisan, we recognize that the results of the election have given rise to and will continue to give rise to instances of racism, homophobia and sexism in school communities across the country and state, including here in Hopkins.
We learned that Black students at one of our high schools received racist text messages referencing slavery and plantations from an unknown source. After contacting the Minnetonka Police Department, we confirmed that similar incidents have been reported at K-12 schools and colleges in at least seven other states, including Minnesota. You can read more about these incidents in this article.
Additionally, we are aware of reports in other districts of misogynistic (e.g., “your body, my choice”), transphobic and homophobic memes, and text messages received by students, although we have not yet received specific reports in our schools.
What we know so far is that a handful of our students reported receiving these messages on their personal devices. Working with our cybersecurity partner, we can confirm that these messages do not contain any personal data from Hopkins, nor do we maintain any information or records regarding students’ personal device information.
Let’s be clear: These types of messages have no place in Hopkins schools. We are resolute in our commitment to making our schools a safe, inclusive environment for all students, staff and families. Guided by our core values of love, vigilant equality and authentic inclusivity, we are committed to responding strongly – there is absolutely no room for hate. At Hopkins we believe in respecting and valuing differences. Our commitment to equity and inclusivity is unwavering as we prepare students for a future that celebrates diverse perspectives and promotes connection for all.
We encourage you to talk to your child(ren) tonight about what they may be feeling, hearing or seeing on their phone and on social media. If they receive offensive messages as described above, encourage them to immediately share it with their teacher, principal and/or a trusted staff member. Minnetonka and Hopkins police are also encouraging individual students and families to report hate speech on a personal device.
Thank you for your partnership in supporting a safe and inclusive community for all students, staff and families.”
Saint Paul Public Schools said:
“SPPS is deeply saddened and disgusted by these messages and the harm they have caused to the students unfortunate enough to receive them. Hate speech has no place in our schools or our communities.”
“We have no room in society for additional racism. We don’t have that. There’s really no room for it,” Burks said. “So many other problems to fight, so many homeless people living on the streets every day, right?”
The messages were sent through a company called Text Now, where users can set up a phone number and send messages for free without showing the sender’s phone number.
Cybersecurity experts believe the messages could be the work of a foreign nation state.
“It looks like this is a huge operation,” said Kiersten Todt, former chief of staff at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “It’s so negative. It’s just laced with hate. And really, if you want to undermine our culture, our society, right now, the best way to do that is to let us fight among ourselves.”
“We don’t pick outside the cotton sector, but we work in jobs where we are underpaid,” Burks said. “We don’t get access to a lot of things that other people, other classes have access to, and that’s why I say it still exists, but in a different form.”
But what matters most to Burks: the world her children will inherit.
‘We talked a lot. That’s my girl,” Burks said. “I want her to be able to walk any path she wants to walk, but if it’s the path I have, in case her skin isn’t as thick as mine, then whatever path she walks is fine.”
Burks’ suggestion for others who receive similar texts is to stand up tall and be braver. She reiterated her suggestion not to give up and support each other.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is also “strongly” encouraging residents who received the text messages to file a complaint on his office’s website.
