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Tawonda Burks woke up Thursday morning to a text message she received overnight. It came from a Twin Cities number, included her full name and was overtly vile.

“I instantly got angry and upset,” Burks said. “I’m just still trying to comprehend, like, did somebody really send this message out to me? Who and why and for what reason?”

Burks, who is Black, was one of many Black Americans targeted by the text messages. There were reports in 

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement that his office received reports of text messages received by Minnesotans.

“The text messages that have been shared with my office are disturbing, threatening, and have no place in our society,” the statement said. “My mission is to ensure every Minnesotan can live with dignity, safety, and respect, and I have no tolerance whatsoever for harassment and hate. I strongly encourage any Minnesotan who received one of these messages to file a complaint with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office

“The FBI is aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country and is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter. As always, we encourage members of the public to report threats of physical violence to local law enforcement authorities.”

Burks, who recently ran for office, wondered if she was individually targeted.

“That was my first thought, due to the campaign, who knows, right? But then I realized when I shared it on social media, seeing other people post it, I'm like, ‘OK, so this went out to other people too.’”

Through the day, she saw more and more social media posts about similar messages others had received nationwide.

“I’ve read on some people’s comments that even children were receiving these text messages,” she said. “That’s just crazy.”

After receiving the text, she reported it to the Rochester branch of the NAACP.

Burks said the timing of the text messages, one day after the election, was disturbing. She ran for the Olmsted County Board but lost the race Tuesday.

“We see the election — that brings out more courage of individuals that are racist,” she said. “I feel like they feel like they have the freedom to express their racism more loudly and bolder, which is sad to see.”

She said the timing, the language, all of it was disturbing.

“I’m still kind of taking it in, but the one thing I will say is that I am proud of who I am, as an individual, as a Black person, and as a woman. I was always raised to have what I would call thick skin — meaning I can hear something, it’s in one ear out the other, and not really let it get too personal. But I do feel like it’s enough, right? It’s just too much,” she said. 

“And I say that because, as a Black woman, we carry a lot of weight that I don’t think society as a whole realizes, and after a certain length of time, you just get tired.”

Peter Cox

Author

Tawonda Burks, who is Black, was one of many Black Americans targeted by the text messages. There were reports in Virginia, in Tennessee, in Ohio, in Connecticut and in Alabama, among others.

Black Minnesotans receive text messages telling them to go ‘to the nearest plantation’

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