Black Students at Duke Targeted by Racist Text Messages in Post-Election Campaign

Duke University Responds to Nationwide Wave of Racist Messaging

DURHAM, NC – In the days following the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president, several Black students at Duke University have been targeted by racist text messages as part of a nationwide “text spam campaign.”

Details of the Incident

The messages, laden with hateful language, have included statements such as informing recipients that they were “selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation.” Some Duke students were targeted by name, while others received anonymous texts.

University Response

Duke’s Student Affairs emailed all students on Thursday, November 7, to inform them about the situation. Mary Pat McMahon, vice president and vice provost of student affairs, and Shruti Desai, associate vice president for student engagement, condemned the messages:

“This racist effort is abhorrent and presumably designed to stoke fear and alienation among members of our Black and African American community,” they wrote. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to fostering an environment where students of all identities are safe, respected, and embraced.”

Investigation and Support Efforts

Student Affairs is collaborating with the Office of Information Technology, the Office for Institutional Equity, and the Duke University Police Department to investigate and provide updates as more information becomes available. The University administration was first notified Thursday morning after reports from students to the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture (MLWC).

Wider Context

The racist messages have not been limited to Duke; Black Americans across multiple states, including North Carolina, New York, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, Texas, Georgia, California, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Alabama, have reported similar texts. Some messages were signed by “a Trump supporter,” while others were anonymous.

Call for Unity

McMahon and Desai urged the Duke community to rise above the incident: “We trust that our Duke community will continue to rise above hatred, support one another, and build a campus grounded in mutual care and respect. That is the Duke way.”

Resources for Support

Students who receive these messages can report incidents by completing a DukeReach Report Form. Support is available through the MLWC, other identity and cultural centers, DukeReach, Counseling and Psychological Services, or DuWell. For urgent mental health support, students can call 919-660-1000 and select option 2. Emergencies on campus should be reported to Duke Police at 919-684-2444.

This article first appeared in the Duke Chronicle.