Federal and state authorities are investigating anonymous, bigoted text messages sent to individuals across the United States, causing alarm among Black Americans.

These texts, reported in states such as Alabama, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, invited recipients to report to a plantation to pick cotton, a reference to the historical enslavement of Black people.

The origin of the texts and the method used to target recipients remain unclear.

The Federal Communications Commission and the FBI are among the bodies investigating the matter.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, a Republican who also received one of the offensive messages, stated that her office was involved in the investigation.

The FBI has confirmed its collaboration with the Justice Department and other authorities.

Incidents were reported in at least 21 states, with affected individuals including high school and college students.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson condemned the messages as a rise in reprehensible rhetoric, reflective of increased racial tensions post-election.

TextNow, the messaging service through which some messages were sent, reported shutting down the responsible accounts swiftly.

Authorities and school districts urged recipients to report similar texts to officials, while some Black Americans voiced concerns over potential civil rights rollbacks under the incoming Trump administration.