"It's very disturbing," said Catherine Hicks who is the president of the Philadelphia NAACP branch.
Hicks says the racist text message is being sent to Black men, women and students locally and nationwide from an unknown number.
The offensive message states: "You have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation...Our executive slaves will come get you in a white van. Be prepared to be searched down once you've enter plantation."
SEE ALSO: Racist text messages referencing slavery raise alarms in multiple states and prompt investigations
"We do not want students being harassed," said Hicks. "We do not want them receiving these types of texts because this is a contentious time right now."
Lower Merion and Upper Darby school districts distributed a letter to parents after some students received the text and alerted police. At least six middle school students in Lower Merion and three high school students in Upper Darby received the text.
Upper Darby High School Principal Dr. Craig Parkinson said in a statement: "This post contains content that does not align with our school's values of respect, inclusivity, and civil discourse. We are taking this matter seriously and addressing it promptly, as we have contacted our local police department."
Upper Darby Police Superintendent Tim Bernhardt said his department is working with Lower Merion detectives to identify the source, but it will be difficult to track the numbers.
"We're appalled that still in this day and age, someone is sending something offensive like that," said Bernhardt. "We're doing everything we can in our power to try and trace back where this came from, but right now we believe we know it's a spoofing incident."
Bernhardt said most times these messages originate outside of the country. They're also trying to determine if students are purposely sending them to other students.
Lower Merion School District Acting Superintendent Megan Shafer said in a statement: "The racist nature of these text messages is extremely disturbing, made even more so by the fact that children have been targeted. We want to unequivocally state that racist language is unacceptable in our schools and will not be tolerated."
Counseling and resources are also available to students.
"We're hoping we can figure out where it came from, and if we can, they will be held accountable. And if we can charge appropriately, we will most definitely do that," said Bernhardt. "It's not something to joke about, and we're not joking about it."
Bernhardt said those responsible could face harassment charges at a minimum and advises anyone who receives this text to contact them.
Police at West Chester University are also investigating at least two reports of students receiving a racist message.
"West Chester University affirms the worth and dignity of each member of its community, and is committed to ensuring an academic environment free of harassment and discrimination," the university said in a statement.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office and FBI are aware of the text messages and working with law enforcement partners to investigate.