Rochester woman among many nationwide receiving racist text messages
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 in at least 19 other states have received racist messages in the past few days, with many of them saying the person was "selected to pick cotton," or to become "a slave."
"I'm glad that my six-year-old couldn't fully read and comprehend what that message was" said Burks.
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 election has stirred a range of emotions. Although Hopkins Public Schools is nonpartisan, we recognize that the outcome of the election has and will continue to spark instances of racism, homophobia, and sexism in school communities across the nation and state, including here in Hopkins.
We have learned that Black students at one of our middle schools received racist text messages referencing slavery and plantations, coming from an unidentified source. After connecting with the Minnetonka Police, we confirmed that similar incidents have been reported in K-12 and college settings across 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 involving 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. In working with our cyber security partner, we can confirm these messages did not involve personal data from Hopkins, nor do we maintain information or records of students' personal device information.
Let us be clear: messages like these have no place in Hopkins Schools. We are resolute in our commitment to making our schools safe, inclusive environments for all students, staff, and families. Guided by our core values of love, vigilant equity, and authentic inclusivity, we are dedicated to responding firmly–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 fosters belonging for everyone.
We encourage you to talk with your child(ren) this evening about what they may be feeling, hearing, or seeing on their phones and on social media. If they receive any offensive messages as described above, please encourage them to share it immediately with their teacher, principal, and/or a trusted staff member. Minnetonka and Hopkins Police also encourage individual students and families to make a police report upon receiving 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 who were unfortunate enough to receive them. Hate speech has no place in our schools or our communities."
"We have no space in society for additional racism. We don't. There's no space for it really," Burks said. "So many other issues to fight, so many homeless people living out in the streets every day, right?"
The messages were sent through a company called Text Now, where users can set up a phone number send free messages without showing the sender's phone number.
Cyber Security experts believe the messages could be the work of a foreign nation-state.
"It does seem like this is a massive operation," said Kiersten Todt, former chief of staff of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. "It's so negative. It's just lanced with hatred. And truly, if you're looking to undermine our culture right now, our society, the best way to do that is to have us fight amongst ourselves."
"We're not outside picking cotton, but we are working jobs where we're underpaid" said Burks. "We're not given access to a lot of things that other people, other classes have access to and so that's why I say it still exists, but it's in a different form."
But what matters most to Burks: the world her kids will inherit.
"We have many talks. That's my girl," Burks said. "I want her to be able to walk whatever path she wants to walk, but if it's the path that I have, in case her skin isn't as thick of mine, then whatever path she's on that she's okay."
Burks' suggestion for others receiving similar texts is to stand tall and be bolder. She reiterated her suggestion of not giving up and supporting each other.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison also "strongly" encourages residents who received the texts to file a complaint on his office's website.
