Ari Fletcher took to social media to express her outrage after her niece received a disturbing racist text message assigning her to a "plantation group" one day after Donald Trump secured the 2024 presidential election.

Sharing the screenshot, Fletcher wrote, "Somebody just text this to my niece phone. You b****** sick in the head! Catch one!" Her reaction highlighted the disgust and anger felt by many as these messages circulated widely across the country.


BET+ Premiere Screening For “The Impact Atlanta” Season 2
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 05: Ari Fletcher attends the BET+ Premiere screening for “The Impact Atlanta” Season 2 at Silverspot Cinema at The Battery Atlanta on October 05, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET

The offensive texts, which began appearing the day after Election Day, instructed recipients to report to "the nearest plantation to pick cotton." Each message was personalized with the recipient's name and assigned a specific "plantation group."

One such text read: "Greetings, [Recipient's Name], You have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation. Be ready at [specific time] with your belongings. Our executive slaves will come get you in a Brown Van. Be prepared to be searched down once you've entered the plantation. You are in Plantation Group [Letter]."

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares strongly condemned the messages, per 'WCNC,' calling them unacceptable and urging recipients to report them to law enforcement or the FBI. His office released a statement advising victims to contact their local authorities or submit a report at FBI.gov/tips.

Victims like photographer Sam Burwell shared their experiences, revealing that the texts were not only personalized but also varied in details such as the group number. "I have a cousin up in Richmond who received the same text message, but I found it weird that in my text message, it had a different group number than his," Burwell noted.

BET+ Premiere Screening For “The Impact Atlanta” Season 2
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 05: Ari Fletcher attends the BET+ Premiere screening for “The Impact Atlanta” Season 2 at Silverspot Cinema at The Battery Atlanta on October 05, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET

Social media users expressed outrage, with many calling for accountability. Fletcher's post was among the most widely shared, with commenters echoing her frustration and condemning the hateful behavior. Others shared screenshots of similar messages, highlighting the scope of the issue.

The timing of these messages — arriving within 24 hours after Vice President Kamala Harris lost the presidential race— has fueled speculation about their intent. While the FBI has not confirmed whether it is investigating, officials have urged recipients to treat these messages as serious threats and report them immediately.

Tags
Racism