Alabama newspaper under fire for posting picture of bale of cotton after Trump’s election

The Selma Times-Journal is facing criticism after an employee changed the publication's Facebook cover photo to a bale of cotton.

On Facebook, the Times-Journal publisher Brent Maze apologized for the post, saying there was no ill intent behind the picture and it was not meant to convey something "controversial or in bad taste."

Maze said it was a mistake for the image to be posted without context.

"Unfortunately, a staff member had changed the Facebook page's cover image to the picture of a bale of cotton," Maze said.

"There was no ill intent meant by the image. However, it was a mistake for the image to be published like this without context. It was not meant to imply something controversial or in bad taste, but it was nevertheless inappropriate. I regret that the image was posted, and I apologize on behalf of the Times-Journal staff for any harm that this has caused. We will learn from this and do better in the future."

AL.com has contacted Maze for comment.

The post comes at a time when Black students nationwide, including in Alabama, reportedly received racist text messages saying they were, "selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation."

The text messages and cotton photo were made on Wednesday, one day after Donald Trump was elected to become the next president of the United States.

Selma is a majority Black city, with Black people comprising 80 percent of the population according to figures from the 2020 census.

The city is also famously known for civil rights activists marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge and being assaulted by police during the Civil Rights Movement.

Most commenters were displeased with the post given the racist history and connotations around cotton because of chattel slavery.

One commenter said the post was unacceptable due to the image's connection to "generations of trauma and oppression."

"This is not only unacceptable; it's profoundly disturbing," the commenter said.

"Posting an image of cotton—especially when your business serves a large Black demographic—shows a shocking lack of awareness or respect for our history. That imagery is tied to generations of trauma and oppression, and seeing it displayed so casually is both offensive and deeply upsetting. I expected better."

Another individual said the staff member who posted the picture should be fired.