TROUBLED RACE RELATIONS PLAGUE CITY PROGRESS
Davenport, October 26…. In a news release issued today, Davenport mayoral candidate and Iowa State Representative Ken Croken condemned the incumbent mayor’s failure to take decisive and immediate action in the face of racist language used by a city council member.
According to media reports, the racial slur was uttered in August in the presence of other council members, including the city’s lone African-American alderman. In September against the backdrop of public accusations of unequal treatment of a local black proprietor seeking to renew a tavern liquor license, the same black alderman publicly reported the August incident of insensitive and racist language. The mayor took no action at that time and public criticism grew more intense. Several weeks later in October it was reported that the mayor established a citizen panel to “investigate” the allegations.
Croken said: “It’s not clear to me what the panel will investigate. The alderman accused of insensitive and racist language has admitted to it and offered the confirmation of three other city council members who were present at the August 6 gathering. It is disturbing that when the mayor’s political adversary was accused of sexual harassment, he was removed from council within days. But when the mayor’s political ally is charged with inappropriate language it requires more than two months of “investigation” before any council action is even considered. Just as with the 324 Main Street catastrophe, I believe the mayor’s delay is motivated by his desire to avoid further embarrassment and ‘kick the can down the road’ beyond the November 7 election.”
According to Croken, the city’s record on equal rights is not flattering. “For instance, in the wake of the George Floyd murder in May 2020 the Davenport Civil Rights Commission conducted a review and presented to the city council possible police reform recommendations to avoid similar injustice locally. The mayor and council chose not to consider the issue. City leadership hiring practices also reflect poorly. With a total minority population of more than 20%, the city has only one director who is a person-of-color and is the lowest paid,” Croken said.
“Davenport has all the elements of a truly great city, location, climate, quality of life. But we can only advance genuinely as a whole, entire community. We must identify and root out those evils and “isms” that divide us: racism, antisemitism, homophobia, sexism, povertyism and all forms of otherism that cause us to focus on each other rather than the advancement of all,” Croken concluded. “Ignoring and down-playing these issues sends the wrong message to our children, particularly when elected leaders do it.”