Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms went to Twitter on Wednesday to reveal a racist text message that was sent to herself and her son.
"N****r, just shut up and reopen Atlanta," the message read.
The racist note referenced Bottoms' stance against Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who wants to reopen parts of the state's businesses despite rising concerns about the coronavirus.
Bottoms said she received the message with her daughter looking over her shoulder. She then prayed for the perpetrator and quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., saying “conscientious stupidity or sincere ignorance.”
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
According to CNN, the mayor said Atlanta is "not out of the woods yet" and she is determined to keep the city shut down despite Kemp's plan to reopen the state.
"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 earlier this week. "You have to live to fight another day, and you have to be able to be amongst the living to be able to recover."
The mayor said the most disturbing part of the racist abuse is that her 12-year-old son also received the message.
"That was more concerning to me than anything," she told a city council member.
But Bottoms said she will keep fighting for her city despite the opposition and abuse.
In a conference call with council members on Thursday, the 50-year-old politician said civil rights activist Andrew Young showed his support of the mayor, reports 11Alive.
"He just reminded me that white supremacy is a sickness and we don't run for office to… we are not cowards," she said.
"I will continue to use my voice to speak on behalf of our community. Children should be off-limits as it relates to any and everything, but we are fine and thank you for your concern," Bottoms continued.
The racist text message, which originated from a fake phone number that contained only nine digits, has been used in scams, CNN reports. The same number was used in a cyberstalking case in Washington D.C., where the defendant allegedly sent abusive messages to an ex-girlfriend.
Bottoms also appeared on CNN and encouraged people to ignore Donald Trump's latest medical advice.
"In addition to advising people to please stay home, now I have to add to that list," she said. "Don't inject your body with Lysol. It's like we're living in the Twilight Zone."
JUST NOW: "In addition to advising people to please stay home, now I have to add to that list don't inject your body with Lysol. It's like we're living in the Twilight Zone. "
Mayor @KeishaBottoms on @realDonaldTrump's disinfectant suggestions.@NewDaypic.twitter.com/dEr3Dx4Biy
— John Berman (@JohnBerman) April 24, 2020
The Atlanta native also appeared on MSNBC and addressed the need to protect people of color from the coronavirus.
"There is still so much work we have to do in America to close these gaps, whether it be racism, income disparity or these health disparities that are making people of color more susceptible to this virus," she said.
"There is still so much work we have to do in America to close these gaps, whether it be racism, income disparity or these health disparities that are making people of color more susceptible to this virus." – Mayor @KeishaBottoms on #COVID19
pic.twitter.com/DdYHcNlzst— City of Atlanta, GA (@CityofAtlanta) April 23, 2020
The mayor said she shared the racist message with the public because she wanted "people across America to see what racism still looks like in 2020."
"As we talk about the impact that this virus is having on communities of color, there is so much anxiety and so many unknowns," she said. "That's why it's even more important that we have stable leadership from the White House that is encouraging people, reminding people that we will get to the other side of this in the same way that we did when went through Jim Crow and have gone through so many other things in this country."
Dr. Anthony Fauci explained why the coronavirus is having an especially hard impact on the Black community.
“So many of the things that were founded in varying degrees of racism over decades and decades…has now, in fact, created sociological conditions that put African Americans in situations of economic, employment and living conditions that immediately puts them in a situation where it’s more difficult for them to even avoid infection,” Fauci said in an interview with The Breakfast Club.
When it comes to opening businesses, Bottoms said, "Don't listen to me, don't listen to the governor, don't listen to the president. Listen to the scientists and the experts and our public health professionals who are telling us that we need to stay home."
Protesters across the country have taken to the streets in recent days in a desperate attempt to get the economy reopened.
