Racist text messages are being sent across the country, targeting Black Americans and telling them they have been selected to pick cotton.
On November 9, the Utica College Black Student Union posted one of these text messages to its Instagram.
It reads: “Hello, you have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation. Make sure you are ready with your belongings at 6:00 PM SHARP. Our Executive Slaves will pick you up in a brown van. Be prepared to be searched as soon as you enter the plantation. You are in plantation group D.”
The UUBSU made its answer loud and clear:
“As a Black Student Union, we want to make it clear: racism and hatred have no place in our campus community,” UUBSU officials wrote on their Instagram. “The racist messages spreading across our country are a shame, and we will not tolerate them. These harmful words and actions are a direct attack on our dignity and humanity, and we will continue to vigorously oppose them. It’s time to stand up, speak out and demand the change we deserve. We are stronger when we come together, and we will never let hate divide us.”
Utica University President Todd Pfannestiel also released a statement about the lyrics.
“Campus Safety has learned that several of our students received a racist and hateful text message on Wednesday from anonymous senders using fraudulent ‘spoofed’ phone numbers… Let me be clear: By targeting members of our community, this abhorrent widespread hate campaign represents a attack on our commitment to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at Utica University. We all know that our most effective response to hate is our respect for each other. We reaffirm our spirit of unity in the face of those who would divide us.”
Pfannestiel encouraged anyone targeted by these text messages on campus to report them to Campus Safety and offered counseling services through the Student Wellness Center and the Office of DEIB.
“This is racism at its highest,” said NAACP President Nana Watson of Columbus, Ohio. “I believe it is a hate crime as I see it.”
Racist text messages are being investigated by the FCC
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel issued a statement saying these texts are being investigated at the federal and state levels.
“We take this type of targeting very seriously,” she wrote.
In a tweet on his .
In response to the FBI tweet, Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican representing Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, on his X account: “You’re probably sending them all. Pack your bags.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James confirmed that not only New Yorkers were targeted, but it went beyond just students.
“The racist text messages targeting New Yorkers, including middle school, high school and college students, are disgusting and unacceptable,” James said. “I unequivocally condemn any attempt to intimidate or threaten New Yorkers and their families. I encourage anyone in New York who has received an anonymous, threatening text message to report it to my office.”
The Office of the Attorney General encourages anyone who has received such a message to report it to the Civil Rights Bureau of the Attorney General by calling 800-771-7755, emailing civil.rights @ag.ny.gov or file a complaint online.
Where do the racist messages come from?
The Utica University Black Student Union posted not only the text message, but also the number it came from: 1-808-582-2707.
Performing a reverse number lookup, the number was listed as coming from a mobile device with a phone company listed as “Onvoy Spectrum LLC.”
Looking up Onvoy Spectrum LLC through the Federal Communications Commission’s Federal Licensing System yielded a contact number based in Chicago, IL.
GTCR LLC, a Chicago-based private equity firm, acquired Inteliquent, another communications network, and merged it with Onvoy before being acquired by Sinch in 2021.
In 2022, Onvoy/Intelicent/Sinch received a warning letter from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for “…routing and transmitting illegal robocall traffic, directly or indirectly” to a number of entities, including to Social Security Administration impostors, a credit card interest reduction , car warranty and disconnection from the electricity grid.
The warranty robocall includes the now infamous “Hi. We have been trying to reach you regarding your vehicle’s extended warranty.
The Better Business Bureau has listed Inteliquent as “not BBB accredited” with a rating of 1.11 out of 5 stars.
Among the one-star reviews, many people complain about the constant calling and texting.
At its core, companies like Onvoy/Intelicent/Sinch operate as Voice Over Internet Protocol providers that allow people to call and text over the Internet. This service is rented out to its customers and is abused by people using robocalls or scams.
The Observer-Dispatch reached out and a customer service representative identifying herself as “Eveleyn” at Inteliquent confirmed that the number provided, the 2707 number that sent the text message, was on the Onvoy/Intelicent/Sinch network.
Neither customer service nor the staff manager were able to provide additional information or connect with someone who could. A contact number was left with the promise of a call back.
The Columbus Dispatch contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: UU’s Black Student Union and more respond to racist texts
