On the evening of Nov. 6, the night after Election Day, black men, women and children and other people of color across the nation received targeted text messages proclaiming extreme racist sentiment. CWU student, Izellah Rainier, was one of the victims of this harassment. Rainier posted about the text message on her TikTok. Her video has amassed 3.1 million views and 644.3 thousand likes. “There’s no sort of full healing from receiving a message like this,” Rainier said. “It’s just very disgusting and terrible and sick. I hope that they can find whoever did this and hold them responsible.”
The message reads: “Greetings, you have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation. Be ready at 10 p.m. sharp with all your belongings. The executive slaves will come pick you up in a brown van. Be prepared to be searched down upon arrival to the plantation. You are in Plantation Group A.”
Rainier says that as of now, she is the only person in the Ellensburg area who has received one of these messages.
Similar messages were reported in New York, Ohio, Alabama and Pennsylvania. According to AP News, some of these messages gave credit to President-elect Donald Trump’s victory last week. Rainier says that she has been in contact with others who have received similar messages, including someone who has also gotten a message threatening deportation.
“I actually know of somebody who received the text message regarding the slavery plantation and the Mexican deportation message,” said Rainier. “They are actually mixed with both black and Mexican, so it was really targeting their demographic.”
The FBI was made aware of the text messages and issued a statement on Nov. 7. In their statement, they say that they are in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities.
Rainier says that the support she has received has been immense and appreciated, and she hopes that other victims of the harassment will receive a similar outpour.
“It’s been very overwhelming,” said Rainier. “I’ve had staff, students, my whole support system has reached out to me. I can’t express how grateful I am to have that support around me. Everything I ask at the end of the day is to provide support to those who may not have support like I do.”
In response to the harassment, the CWU Black Student Union issued a statement.
The statement reads: “We have seen these racist text messages penetrate our home and sense of peace following this election across the country and now on our campus. The unified Black Student Union does not stand for these ideals of racial discrimination and widespread hatred. We stand with our students and will do the utmost to protect everyone here in Ellensburg. We will not let go of our mission to uplift, educate, and support our students, especially in the face of adversity. We urge the city of Ellensburg to work hand in hand with Central Washington University to do more than vocally support their black students on and off campus. We’ve seen discriminatory events in the past that have affected more than just the students but our faculty and community members as well. We urge Central Washington University and the City of Ellensburg to respond effectively to harmful incidents with action. We stand with our brothers and sisters on other campuses at this time and intend to ensure that our campuses are a place where everyone feels welcomed and safe. This hatred will end in our communities.”
