DAVENPORT, Iowa — Members of the Black community in the Quad Cities are frustrated over racial language a Davenport alderman claimed he received from co-workers.
At the Committee of the Whole meeting on Sept. 20, 5th Ward Alderman Tim Kelly, who is Black, voiced his disappointment.
"When you have a colleague that says stuff to you like, 'he was a nice colored gentleman,' I have to say we don't say those words anymore," Kelly said.
The alderman said on several occasions, a racial slur was used against him, and that the language has made it increasingly hard to perform his duties. "When you sit silent and you know someone's been mistreated, how does that make you feel?" Kelly said.
The allegations frustrated Davenport residents like LaShanna Dixon, who was at that meeting. "It was very shocking, it was like being punched in the gut over and over and over," she said.
Dixon said the increasing issues with the city council distract from other things in the community. "We see more negative more than we see positive sometimes, and that's embarrassing. I'm looking forward to a Davenport that has a lot more positive going on and transparency and love," she said.
Other community members also expressed disapproval with the way Kelly says he was treated. "All of us should be standing up against injustice everywhere," Steve Perkins said.
"For that not to be addressed immediately ... I am very disappointed in our city staff," Mike Guster said.
Community members said they plan on voicing their concerns with mayor Mike Matson at the upcoming city council meeting on Sept. 27 at 5:30 p.m.
News 8 reached out to Alderman Kelly and the city of Davenport for comment on this story. As of this publication, we have not received a response from either.