Atlanta Mayor's Family Receives Racist Texts After Criticizing Plans To Reopen Georgia Economy

KEY POINTS

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms said she and her son received racist texts from an anonymous sender calling her a racial slur and to reopen the city's economy
Bottoms has been a vocal critic of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's plan to begin reopening the state's economy, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic
Some of the businesses Kemp included in the first wave of reopenings were gyms, beauty salons, barbers, and bowling alleys

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said Friday that both she and her son received racist texts demanding the city be reopened, despite concerns over coronavirus exposure.

Bottoms told the Atlanta City Council she received the text at home Wednesday. The anonymous sender called her a racial slur and told her to “just shut up and REOPEN ATLANTA!” She said her daughter was present and saw the text when it was opened. A duplicate text was sent to Bottoms’ son around the same time it was sent to her.

Bottoms shared the text on Twitter, accompanied by a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. She told the city council that while her family was OK, members were disturbed someone would send that kind of message to her son.

“That was more concerning to me than anything,” Bottoms said.

With my daughter looking over my shoulder, I received this message on my phone. I pray for you.
“Conscientious stupidity or sincere ignorance.”
~Martin Luther King, Jr. pic.twitter.com/dOimv9sdN3
— Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) April 23, 2020

Despite the messages, she told the council she wouldn’t stop speaking up against plans to reopen the Georgia economy.

“We are not cowards. Cowards don't run for office,” Bottoms said.

The Atlanta mayor has become a regular target for protesters who have demanded the economy be reopened thanks to her criticism of Gov. Brian Kemp. The governor lifted closure restrictions on select businesses, including gyms and salons, allowing some to reopen as soon as Friday.

“Given the favorable data, enhanced testing, and approval of our healthcare professionals, we will allow gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, cosmetologists, hair designers, nail care artists, estheticians, their respective schools and massage therapists to reopen their doors this Friday, April 24, 2020,” Kemp said in a release on the state’s website.

Bottoms responded by saying she would seek a legal option to keep Atlanta shut down while coronavirus was still a threat.

“I have searched my head and my heart on this and I am at a loss as to what the governor is basing this decision on,” Bottoms told CNN on Tuesday. “You have to live to fight another day, and you have to be able to be amongst the living to be able to recover.”