Federal and state authorities are working to find the origins of racist text messages sent to Black people across the country threatening them with slavery and telling them they were “selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation.

The FBI is investigating multiple racist text messages sent to students at Fisk University and campuses nationwide, TBI Director David Rausch said Tuesday. Fisk University safety officials went on “high alert” last week,

The racist text messages were sent to Black men and women across several states and told them they had been “selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation.”

Racist texts, some mentioning Donald Trump, were sent to dozens of Black people in several states Thursday and Wednesday. The FBI is aware of the racist texts.

The FBI is investigating racist messages sent to Black students nationwide, including Texas. Texts follow election victory of Donald Trump.

Officials and universities in a growing number of U.S. states are condemning racist text messages that were sent to Black residents this week. The messages, which began appearing Wednesday, were received by people in at least 20 states and the District of Columbia, CBS News has found.

Federal and state authorities are investigating a string of racist text messages sent to Black people across the U.S. during the week of the presidential election. The big picture: Racist messages echoing slavery's horrors have hit phones nationwide,

The messages followed the same general script, summoning the recipient to pick cotton on a plantation and assigning a time to be picked up by slave handlers.

Students across the country, including some at LAUSD schools, received racist text messages shortly after the election. The district and the FBI are investigating.