Sojourner Truth Museum Receives Voicemail Threatening Black Children

By Jared D. Childress | OBSERVER Staff Writer

A voicemail threatening the lives of Black children was left the morning of July 30 with the Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum in South Sacramento, as first reported by KCRA. The Sacramento Police Department is currently investigating the matter but has said it does not believe the threat to be credible. Black parents, however, are concerned and some have decided to keep their kids home from school.

The voicemail audio was obtained by the local Black Lives Matter chapter and shared July 30 on its social media. The voicemail seems to be AI generated, with a robotic voice delivering an alarming message.

Warning: the message is disturbing and may be traumatizing.

The message states: “California agendas are active to murder Black children in the Sacramento area. Murders are to be in cold blood with no remorse. The intel relay has contacted more than 100 schools in the Sacramento area to structure this agenda.”

SacPD confirmed detectives are investigating this matter while also saying they don’t believe it is a credible threat, according to a statement sent to The OBSERVER.

“[SacPD] is aware of the disturbing and threatening voicemail that was posted on social media. We currently have detectives that are actively investigating the circumstances of these threats,” the statement reads. “Preliminarily, we do not believe these threats to be credible. We believe there is no outstanding threat to the community, however detectives will continue to investigate this matter.”

SacPD encourages anyone with information regarding these threats or receiving similar voicemails to contact the Sacramento Police Department non-emergency line at 916-808-5471.

Parent Nicole Hatch said the matter needs to be taken seriously. She said Elk Grove Unified School District hasn’t responded to her messages asking what safety measures will be taken. She’s keeping her second-grade daughter home until further notice.

“If it was [another demographic] they would have had U.S. marshals in front of the school escorting the kids in,” Hatch, 39, said. “The safest place for my child is with me and our family. So unfortunately she will not be going to school until we get something stated that we’re going to be protected.”