Within hours of Donald Trump securing a second presidential election victory on Nov. 5, reports of hateful acts have surfaced around the country.
Despite two impeachments, criminal convictions and threats to suspend the U.S. Constitution, Trump gained a majority of support from voters, even becoming the first Republican president in decades to win the popular vote.
Meanwhile, fears of Trump’s hateful rhetoric leading to hateful acts have already become the new reality.
Racist texts
Currently, the FBI is investigating a series of racist texts sent to mostly Black students and adults across the country on the day of and after the election.
The texts told recipients to report to a slave plantation to pick cotton. Students in Oklahoma were among those who received the texts, including a Greenwood descendant of Black Wall Street business owners.
“I had to explain to her this is not a joke. This is, you know, it’s serious,” Jazmine Collins, a mother of a seventh grader at Tulsa’s Central Middle and High School, told the Black Wall Street Times. “And I made her aware that this is not just a local thing. This is nationwide right now, I’m seeing it everywhere.”
The Tulsa Police Department acknowledged receiving a complaint regarding the local incident, and State Superintendent Ryan Walters released a statement condemning the texts.
“I encourage any student or family affected to file an Awareity complaint with our agency. We are actively working with our law enforcement to determine the source of these messages. We will do everything in our power to ensure this offensive harassment stops immediately,” Walters said.
Greenwood mural vandalized in hateful act
In a hateful act that reminds the community of a century-old massacre, Tulsa Police announced Tuesday they’re looking for a suspect who vandalized an historic mural in the Greenwood District, home to the original Black Wall Street. The vandalism, which occured north of Greenwood and Archer on Oct. 27, resulted in thousands of dollars in damage, TPD said.
Police were unable to determine the identity of the suspect based on the blurry footage, leading the department to ask the public for help.
“If you have any information that could help up with this case, please contact Tulsa Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS. You can remain anonymous and earn a cash reward,” TPD posted.
Racist truck stop encounter
For truck driver Saxon Weber, running into subtle racism here and there isn’t uncommon. Yet, he was shocked at the blatant hate he experienced from a waitress and other customers at a Denny’s in rural Missouri.
“She took my order. Next thing you know, when she brings my food up, she slammed it on the table and started looking at me all weird,” Weber told the Black Wall Street Times Monday. “And then, all those guys over there started laughing, talking about how they’re glad that Trump’s in office now, he’s gonna get rid of all the sandal wearers.”
Weber said racist truckers sometimes refer to immigrants and Latinos with the derogatory term. The incident occurred at a Denny’s located inside the Flying J Travel Center, 102 Fore Dr., Wayland, Missouri.
“I hear that crap all the time on the CB and truck stops, but that was probably the first time I ever had a group of them heckling me,” Weber said, encouraging people to stay vigilant.
Trump supporters harass National Parents Union president in hateful act
A group of young male Trump supporters targeted a woman in the parking lot of a Woburn, Massachusetts McDonald’s.
Keri Rodriques is a mother of five boys and founder of the National Parents Union. She told WCVB5 a group of young men saw her Kamala Harris bumper sticker as she was having a snack in the parking lot, according to a Monday report.
“They were screaming at me, ‘you’re a f-ing lesbian, she’s a Kamala supporter, Trump 2024’ and then I start hearing… and it starts connecting… and I’m like, ‘are you serious right now?” Rodrigues said.
The local police are currently awaiting digital evidence from the establishment as they investigate the incident. “All I really want the police to do is go over and and have a conversation with the parents of these young men and say ‘this is not okay, this is not acceptable in our community,” Rodrigues said.
Combined, these four hateful acts represent just a snapshot of what communities are experiencing as a president who vowed to take revenge on his political enemies prepares to take office.
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