Two elected officials in Iowa, who are both Black, are being subjected to violent and racist harassment.

Over the past six months, two Black county officials in Iowa, Travis Hall and Quentin Hart, have been the victims of racial harassment and threats. However, justice was finally served on April 18 when a man was arrested for his involvement in these incidents.

Travis Hall, a supervisor in Black Hawk County, recounted a terrifying experience in which someone poured corrosive acid onto his work truck. After that, he found himself receiving racist calls, texts, and facing vandalism on a regular basis. This left Hall with a constant sense of fear, wondering if he would be attacked in person as well. He expressed his frustration, stating that serving the public should not come at the cost of living in fear.

Unfortunately, Hall was not the only one facing such issues. Mayor Quentin Hart of Waterloo also faced targeting because of his race. He shared with The Courier, "It's disheartening that in this day and age, some people still judge others based on the color of their skin or political beliefs."

The perpetrator behind these heinous acts, Tyler Young, was arrested and taken into custody at Black Hawk County Jail after an arrest warrant was issued in December for several misdemeanor harassment charges. According to police, Young had sent threatening text messages to both Hall and Hart.

The messages received by Hart and Hall were filled with racial and homophobic slurs, with one even saying, "Go back to Africa with all the other gorillas." Despite coming from different phone numbers, authorities were able to trace them back to Young, a man who was unknown to both Hall and Hart.

The harassment did not stop there. Hart shared that he would receive up to 20 threatening phone calls a day, not only targeting him but also his children. Both officials also received notifications of fraudulent access to their online accounts and attempts to create fake profiles using their names on dating apps like Tinder.

Although Young was charged for the harassment, he was not charged for the vandalism that occurred on Hall and Hart's properties in October 2023. Their cars were vandalized, and they also had to deal with trash being thrown into their yards and their mail being tampered with. It was a constant struggle for them to live in peace.

Hall shared with the outlet, "These incidents have left me with an uneasy feeling, and knowing that it was all because of the color of my skin is a burden." He expressed how stressful it was to live in fear, not knowing when or where the next attack would come from.

Both Hall and Hart acknowledged that they were not the first Black officials to face such racial targeting. They strongly believe that being a public official should not make them vulnerable to such hate and discrimination. However, they did commend the local law enforcement for taking their threats seriously and working tirelessly to bring justice.

In conclusion, it is unacceptable that in this day and age, racism still exists and targets those in positions of power. Hall and Hart's experiences shed light on the ongoing issue of discrimination and the need for it to be addressed and eradicated. As Black political leaders, they stand in solidarity with others who have faced similar acts of racism and condemn any form of hate based on race or political affiliation.

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