Atlanta Mayor Reveals Racist Text Message Sent To Her Over Lockdown

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has been an outspoken critic of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s plan to re-open many businesses around the state on Friday April 24. Now, she’s being attacked for it.

The mayor revealed that she was called a racial epithet from an anonymous source that has her phone number. Lance Bottoms recently showed a picture of a text message she received, which says: “Nigger, Just shut up and RE-OPEN ATLANTA!”

Atlanta Mayor Receives Threatening Message About Re-Opening Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

The message was sent from an address that reads: “ReOpen@Georgia.gov.”

 

What made matters worse is that Lance Bottoms said she was not alone when she received the text message.

“With my daughter looking over my shoulder, I received this message on my phone. I pray for you,” she posted on social media.

More: Trump Doubles Down On Georgia Re-Opening: ‘Not Happy With Brian Kemp’

She also shared this quote attributed to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.”: ““Conscientious stupidity or sincere ignorance.”

Lance Bottoms says while she and the governor have a great working relationship, she was not consulted on his plan to re-open part of the state’s economy while the coronavirus pandemic continues to take lives.

The mayor has created an advisory panel to help her decipher when to re-open Atlanta, although state law issued by Kemp supersedes anything she can enact. But that fact isn’t going to stop her.

“Reopening the city must be executed in a cautious manner that is best suited for Atlanta,” said Mayor Bottoms in a written statement. “The Advisory Council will provide the necessary input and buy-in from Atlanta stakeholders to outline a safe and thoughtful framework to get our economy back on track without endangering public health.”

Up Next: Even Trump Says Georgia’s Re-Opening ‘Too Soon’

Atlantafi.com is bringing you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta under a state of emergency. More definitive advice on health, please visit CDC.gov. Here are some helpful links:

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Tee Johnson: Tee Johnson is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AtlantaFi.com, Atlanta’s independent hyper-local publication focused on news, restaurants, events, jobs, neighborhoods, and lifestyle. A 15+ year Atlanta resident and longtime journalist and content creator, she covers Travel News, Events, Business, Hair Care, and Money with a practical, Atlanta-first lens. Before launching the site, Johnson worked as a substitute teacher in Atlanta Public Schools and later in corporate roles at Home Depot’s Vinings offices. A marketer by training with a degree in business management, she grew frustrated with the fragmented, hard-to-find information about what was actually happening in the city. That gap led her to create AtlantaFi as a curated, one-stop resource for the pulse of Atlanta—#ATLHAPS—without the national noise. Editorial decisions remain independent; the publication does not accept products, meals, or services in exchange for coverage. As Editor-in-Chief, she oversees original local reporting and curated practical guides that help residents, visitors, and businesses discover and engage with the city. Readers turn to her work for timely event roundups, dining and neighborhood insights, business and travel updates, and straightforward money and lifestyle coverage grounded in firsthand observation of Atlanta. A devoted lover of all things Atlanta, Tee enjoys pickleball, a good margarita or bourbon, and walking the Atlanta Beltline. She can be reached for editorial inquiries at tjohnson@atlantafi.com (serious inquiries only).
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