Missouri students condemn racist text messages sent on campus

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – Missouri State University students are condemning racist text messages sent across campus in recent days. There have been reports from other black students in the US receiving similar messages.

MSU students tell KY3 the messages read: “Congratulations! You have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation,” with instructions on when and how they will be transported. The lyrics are also signed, “Sincerely, a Trump supporter.”

MSU student Chika Chukwu said her friends have received messages and are scared.

“People were generally terrified because what if someone sees them on the road and abuses them,” Chukwu said.

Another MSU student, Imani Rucker, said she also has friends who received the text messages.

“It really has to stop because of the text messages. How can you obtain our telephone numbers? How do you know who we are? Where do we live? I just don’t understand how people have access to these types of resources. It makes us feel very unsafe,” said Rucker.

An email was sent to students on Thursday confirming several reports of our Black students receiving racist text messages from unknown numbers, similar to incidents reported by universities across the country.”

MSU has also included resources for students to use if they feel unsafe on campus. The email said racist graffiti was also found in a bathroom on campus Thursday afternoon.

KY3 contacted the MSU Public Safety Department and the provost’s office. Both departments declined to grant an interview, but sent us the following statement: “As a university, we condemn these actions and are investigating them to determine who is responsible. The identified individuals will face disciplinary action.”

The Springfield NAACP and the University of Missouri chapter have denounced the messages targeting black students.

“We are appalled by these acts of intimidation, which not only undermine our core values of equality and justice, but also threaten the safety and well-being of our students in educational environments that should be inclusive and nurturing for all,” Kai Sutton wrote. president of the Springfield NAACP chapter.

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