Federal authorities are investigating disturbing racist text messages sent anonymously to Black Americans across the United States, including students. These messages invoked themes of slavery, instructing recipients to “report to the nearest plantation.” The texts have triggered concern and condemnation, and multiple law enforcement agencies are now involved. Text Messages Spark National Alarm The texts have been reported in states such as New York, California, Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. Each message varied slightly in wording, but most instructed the recipients to gather their belongings and prepare to “pick cotton”
AI-enhanced search engines from Google, Microsoft, and Perplexity have been surfacing debunked and racist research claiming genetic superiority of white people over other racial groups, according to Wired. This trend, revealed through investigative work by Hope Not Hate, a UK-based anti-racism organization, has added to concerns about racial bias and radicalization in AI-powered search. AI Search Results Show Discredited Research Patrik Hermansson, a researcher with anti-racism group Hope Not Hate, was investigating the resurgence of scientific racism when he found that AI-driven search engines often promote discredited “race science.” When
Telegram has become “a global sewer” of illegal and extremist activities, including white supremacy, criminal networks, and terrorism, according to a four-month investigation by The New York Times. White Supremacist Activity Thrives on Telegram The Times analyzed more than 3.2 million Telegram messages from over 16,000 channels, uncovering 1,500 channels run by white supremacists. These channels have nearly one million members worldwide and openly coordinate racist activities, including inciting violence, promoting hate speech, and organizing protests. Telegram is “the most popular place for ill-intentioned, violent actors to congregate,” Rebecca Weiner,
Warp, a payroll startup based in New York, has distanced itself from an individual associated with its brand after a series of racist posts on X (formerly Twitter). The controversy began when an account using the name “Vittorio,” who had a Warp affiliate badge, made derogatory comments favoring white superiority. The post, which quickly sparked outrage, read, “I like White people more, they do more… I’ll let Blacks run and play basketball.” The affiliate badge linked to Vittorio’s profile suggested an official connection to Warp, a startup focused on automating
UK government officials have criticized Elon Musk, owner of social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), for commenting, “civil war is inevitable” under a video of violent, far-right attacks in England. Musk’s Posts Ignite Political Reactions Hundreds have been arrested during a wave of racist, Islamophobic, and anti-immigrant violence sparked by the disinformation surrounding the murder of three young girls last Monday. False claims that the murder suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker led violent right-wing mobs to attack mosques and set fire to hotels housing asylum seekers across
Four students from Pinelands High School in Cape Town, South Africa are facing disciplinary hearings after a video depicting a mock “slave auction” went viral on social media, according to the BBC. The video, which shows Black students being auctioned off while others bid for them, has prompted outrage and an official investigation by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). Incident Details and Investigation The footage, reportedly filmed by Grade 8 students, shows Black pupils inside a cage while other students shout bids. This incident has drawn significant public
Sam Bankman-Fried, the co-founder and former CEO of the failed crypto exchange FTX, is facing allegations of funding a group with racist ties. As first reported by The Guardian, FTX trustees allege that payments to the group were made with misappropriated funds. FTX and Lightcone FTX trustees allege that Sam Bankman-Fried and other company insiders used nearly $5 million of misappropriated funds to help a nonprofit called Lightcone Infrastructure purchase the historic Rose Garden Inn hotel. The property, now named the Lighthaven Campus, hosts conferences and workshops on the “Tescreal”
Many Black adults believe that key systems in the United States are designed to hinder Black people’s progress, a Pew Research Center survey has found. This sentiment was more common among those who had experienced racial discrimination. Widespread Belief In Systemic Discrimination The survey, conducted in September 2023, found that Black adults believe the prison (74%) and political systems (67%) are designed to hold them back. For example, 3 in 4 of Black adults believed the prison system is intentionally structured to profit from incarcerating Black individuals. Almost 2 in
Social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has been running ads on the search results for least 20 racist and antisemitic hashtags, according to a review by NBC News. The ad placements allowed X to monetize the hateful content more than 18 months after Elon Musk said that he would demonetize such posts on the platform. X Runs Racist Ads NBC News found the advertisements by searching several hashtags used to promote racism and antisemitism and by searching X accounts known for racial or religious hatred. The hashtags found varied from #whitepride
A Virginia tech firm has agreed to pay more than $38,000 in penalties for posting a job advertisement that only sought white, US-born applicants. “Only Born US Citizens [White]” IT services firm Arthur Grand Technologies was scrutinized for a job advertisement requesting only white candidates apply. The company posted a job advertisement for a Business Analyst on Indeed. However, the now-deleted ad included a note stating: “Only Born US Citizens [White] who are local within 60 miles from Dallas, TX [Don’t share with candidates]. The client was listed as IT
