A racist text message was sent to thousands of Black individuals nationwide the day after the election. While federal authorities are investigating the source of the disturbing message, Southern California families and school districts are reeling from the experience since residents in the Southland were also affected.
Among those who were targeted by the text were Black Santa Monica students. While this is a national issue, one parent is calling for local action.
Ericka Lesley has been talking about the post-election racist text messages for five days now. When asked if she could read out loud the message her son received last Wednesday, it was too overwhelming.
“It really does something to you when you read it when you read it out loud as a parent because I didn’t know was going to hit like that,” said Lesley.
Lesley tells NBC4 her teenage sons were some of at least dozens of Black students she’s identified at Santa Monica High School who received the message telling them they have been “selected to pick cotton” at a “plantation.”
She says through her network of parents, she’s determined a local middle school and Santa Monica College received the message, as well. Meanwhile, from California to Kentucky, Florida to Washington DC, young Black people received similar messages the day after the election. The wording differed slightly, but the message was essentially the same.
“Just a whole chill to go through your body to think you know hey this is something that they’re targeting Black kids … but now, you are also on a national scale,” Lesley said. “What else are they planning?”
Law enforcement, including the FBI, are investigating the messages. Lesley is calling for increased security for Black children in Santa Monica schools.
“We want increased safety measures put in place for our children,” she said.
The Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District Superintendent Antonio Shelton issued a statement Friday saying in part, “Targeting our students with racist messages is unfathomable. Whoever or whatever group started this campaign needs to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. If we learn that a SMMUSD student is involved at the local level, they will face disciplinary action to the full extent of Education Code and school board policy.”
The Santa Monica Police Department tells NBC4 they are aware of the text messages, but Lt. Erika Aklufi said she was not aware of any reports being made to SMPD.
Aklufi encourages anyone who receives a message of that nature to report it to the police.
Neither Santa Monia Police nor SMMUSD indicated any plans to increase school security in light of the text messages.