Following reports of racist, anonymous texts targeting Black students, UGBC President Meghan Heckelman said student government has a responsibility to take a stand.
“Different opinions are accepted, but what’s not accepted is when it turns racist, sexist, xenophobic,” Heckelman, LSEHD ’25 said. “It’s time for student government to take a stand against some of this.”
A series of racist text messages were sent to Black people—including many high school and college students—across the country in the days following the election. Some texts addressed recipients by name and told them to report to plantations at a specific time and place.
“You have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation starting 11/07/2024,” reads one message obtained by CNN. “Please Be ready at 8am SHARP! with your belongings. Our executive slave catchers pick you up in a brown van, be prepared to be searched once you’ve entered the plantation. You are in Plantation group 7.”
UGBC condemned the text messages in an email to the student body Friday night.
“These messages, as well as others that express racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, or otherwise disparaging sentiments online or in person, have no place in our community,” the statement reads.
The texts quickly drew sharp condemnation from advocacy groups and law enforcement officials across the country.
“These messages represent an alarming increase in vile and abhorrent rhetoric from racist groups across the country, who now feel emboldened to spread hate and stoke the flames of fear that many of us are feeling after Tuesday’s election results,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, in a statement on Thursday.
It is not yet clear who is responsible for the text messages. The FBI, Justice Department, and a bipartisan group of attorney generals are currently investigating the incidents, according to the Associated Press.
The Division of Student Affairs and Boston College Police Department are also investigating the incidents, according to the statement.
Heckelman said UGBC senior leadership originally planned to draft a broad statement urging students to utilize the Office of the Dean Of Students’ (DOS) new reporting website to report any racist, sexist, or other bias-related incidents.
But after learning that racist text messages had been sent to BC students, UGBC leaders felt they had to respond directly, Heckelman said.
“Once the text came, that was the trigger of, ‘We definitely have to do something,’” Heckelman said. “We were debating at one point something more focused on the [DOS reporting website], but we wanted to acknowledge the texts in name and make a clear statement based on that.”
The University has not yet publicly addressed the incident. While UGBC leaders consult with their advisors before making important decisions, Heckelman emphasized that UGBC has the latitude to make official statements independent of the University.
“I had heard from some peers that they were looking for the University to maybe make a statement, and that’s not something that I can speak on as much,” Heckelman said. “But we knew that from our team, and it was my team members that really encouraged me and said, ‘Meghan, we have to do something about this.’”
UGBC also sought to address offensive messages posted on Herrd in the aftermath of the election—a recurring problem with anonymous platforms, Heckelman said.
“People feel like they have the license to act in a way that they probably wouldn’t face to face, and in a way that is unacceptable,” Heckelman said. “There’s not much that we can do in our capacity to police that besides denounce it in a statement like this,” Heckelman said.
Heckelman encouraged students to avoid Herrd, especially in the wake of a polarized election and other major events.
“I personally encourage people to just get off there,” Heckelman said. “It’s a toxic place. It doesn’t make you feel good. I think that during times like this, we need to turn our attention to engaging in a productive, civil, caring, and understanding way with our peers.
UGBC’s three diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) councils, Heckelman added, are well-equipped to support students affected by the incidents.
“Our DEI councils are very robust … those groups are very much a landing pad for students from different communities that want to celebrate their identities but also process some of those tougher things that happen nationally and on our campus,” Heckelman said.