Text messages invoking slavery raised alarm across the country this week after they were sent to Black men, women and students, including middle schoolers, prompting inquiries by the FBI and other agencies.

Variations of a racist text message are being sent to Black students in Oklahoma and across the country. The FBI is investigating.

Both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have published statements saying they are aware of the mass texts and are collaborating with federal and local authorities to identify the source.

The messages tell recipients they have been selected "to pick cotton" or “chosen to be a slave", authorities say.

The FBI is investigating a series of racist text messages sent to Black Americans across the country. The wording of the texts appear to differ, but the theme is consistent and tells recipients they've been selected to be a slave on a plantation.

A federal investigation is underway after racist text messages were sent to Black people in several states this week, including in Ohio.

Many teenagers and college students around the country have reported receiving racist text messages that were sent to phone numbers across the country last week.

Authorities are investigating a series of racist text messages that were sent to Black and Hispanic students in the Los Angeles Unified School District, part of a much larger trend occurring across the country.