UW-Madison students are receiving racist text messages as part of a nationwide incident

Black students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison received racist text messages as part of a campaign nationwide Wave of text messages sent in the few days after the election, UWPD reported Friday.

The messages contained references to slavery and were “unsolicited, harassing and racist in nature.”

News reports mentioning slavery were reported in other Wisconsin cities. including Milwaukee. In one case, these texts were sent to a 12 years old.

The FBI and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are currently investigating. UWPD said there was no information to suggest the threats were credible.

“We are committed to the safety of the UW-Madison campus and community and take all reports seriously,” UWPD said in a statement Statement of November 8th.

These texts come at a time when hate crimes are on the rise following election season. The current political climate is “rife with opportunities for the trend toward increasing hatred to continue,” one said Report from April 2023 from the Leadership Conference Education Fund, a national civil rights group. Increasing white supremacy is playing a major role in driving this trend.

Students can fill out a Harassment, Discrimination and Bias Report to receive support from the Student Advisory Office.

Students can also contact UWPD at (608) 264-2677. If it is an emergency, call 911.