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:
Saint Paul Public Schools said:
“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.