The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) has issued a strong response to a recent surge in racist text messages targeting Black students. These texts, sent from an undisclosed source, contained vile references to slavery and instructed recipients to perform outdated and racially offensive tasks. SFUSD, along with the Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families (DCYF), the NAACP, and the faith community, are standing together to condemn these acts of hate. "We will not tolerate hate in our city," the SFUSD Superintendent, Dr. Maria Su, stated in a recent announcement.

The school district is actively working to provide support to those affected. In a partnership with DCYF, they are offering wellness support to any young person who has reported receiving one of these racist texts. "Our hearts go out to anyone who is on the receiving end of these messages," said Dr. Maria Su. SFUSD is also cooperating with law enforcement investigations and working to foster inclusive environments in and out of classrooms. The incidents are not isolated to San Francisco. New York, Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee students have also reported receiving similar messages following Tuesday's presidential election.

Upon review, the FBI communicates with the Justice Department regarding these hateful messages. At the same time, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has said it's investigating them "alongside federal and state law enforcement." According to a report by KTVU, David Brody from The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law has emphasized that numerous civil rights laws could be applied to these hate-related incidents, highlighting the gravity of the situation.

Leaders of several civil rights organizations have voiced their denunciation of these racist texts. Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, denounced the vile content of the messages in the strongest terms. "The threat — and the mention of slavery in 2024 — is not only deeply disturbing, but perpetuates a legacy of evil that dates back to before the Jim Crow era, and now seeks to prevent Black Americans from enjoying the same freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness," Johnson told KTVU. The school district urges anyone who receives these troubling messages to report them to law enforcement and to take steps to block further communications of this nature.