On Thursday, Nov. 7, Grand Valley State University sent out an email statement to the student body, which indicated that multiple students had been targeted by racist text messages. The messages, which have been reported nationwide, told recipients that they had been “selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation,” and that a “van” would pick them up.
According to CBS News, the messages have been reported in at least 20 states. The texts have been received by many college students, including those at three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Along with other universities, GVSU forwarded the harassment reports to the FBI, as well as the State’s attorney general.
“There’s a lot of search warrants (and) a lot of areas that need to be looked at, so I’m not quite sure what that (the investigation process) is going to look like,” said GVSU Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police Brandon DeHaan. “This has become a national story. It’s not just limited to Grand Valley. This is a national issue, so it makes sense that our federal partners would take the lead on that.”
In a statement released on Nov. 7, the FBI confirmed they were aware of the messages, and were investigating it in conjunction with other federal agencies. No direct correlation or motive has been confirmed as of yet, and the texts have been sent from multiple numbers.
The messages appeared just hours after Donald Trump was announced the winner of the U.S. presidential election. Throughout his campaign, Trump perpetuated racial stereotypes and utilized inflammatory language when referencing minorities. According to the New York Times, the Trump campaign has denied any involvement.
The NAACP, an organization that advocates for civil rights and social justice, underscored that the messages are indicative of a polarizing political climate. In a statement released on Nov. 7, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson condemned the texts.
“The unfortunate reality of electing a President who, historically has embraced, and at times encouraged hate, is unfolding before our eyes,” Johnson said in the statement. “We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, there is no place for hate in a democracy.”
In the same email statement by GVSU, it was noted there was another on-campus incident involving a student who was racially harassed by a group of people. DeHaan noted that GVSU’s security camera system assisted in the investigation, which is now closed.
“The department has concluded our investigation into that incident,” DeHaan said. “Based on the outcome of the investigation, I do not believe there are any ongoing or continuing threats to the person who reported this, nor do I believe there is any ongoing or continuing threats to any members of our campus community.”
DeHaan noted that any disciplinary action taken against the group of people would be handled by the Dean of Students.
Dr. Robert Shorty, the vice president of People, Equity and Culture at GVSU, emphasized that in addition to working with state and federal authorities, the University strives to communicate with its students.
“With leadership from President Mantella, Vice President Jenny Hall-Jones and I were glad to communicate with all of our faculty, staff and students yesterday about these reports, and to encourage access to our resources and to care for each other,” Shorty said. “University leadership is committed to continuing communication and engagement with our community moving forward.”
Shorty, along with DeHaan, stressed the importance of reaching out to GVPD or dialing 911 if a student feels they are being harassed.
“People within the University need to know if they (a student) believe their life is threatened, for whatever that reason may be,” DeHaan said. “They (a student) should be contacting either 911 or the Grand Valley Police Department as soon as possible.”
