NATOMAS, Sacramento — The partisan politics of 2020 have been making headlines for a while, but the tactics seen on the national level have reached local communities.
Candidates running for a seat on the Natomas Unified School District school board race say racism is plaguing their campaigns. Ericka Harden is running for a school board seat and says someone has defaced her signs with racial slurs.
"They wrote the n-word and Black b-word," Harden said. "I’ve been getting treated horribly in the community that I love. I started this campaign August 7th and it's been nothing but turmoil."
She thought it was kids at first, but then the attacks became worse.
“When they damaged the sign on my dad’s truck, that means not only did they damage that, they touched his property," Harden said. "They had to get inside of his truck. They took a saw and sawed off the pipes and then there were bad racial slurs all over it. I was scared. And I don't get scared easily. I was scared for my children and now I'm concerned about what else could go on."
Micah Grant is a Trustee for Natomas Unified School District school board seeking re-election. He says he knows all too well what Haden is going through.
"If you're campaigning and you're a person of color it's a little different," Grant said. "You get messages a lot of other people wouldn't get."
While campaigning, Grant said he's received messages that target his daughter, calling her the n-word.
“You expect adults to act as adults. You don't think that anyone would come for your child,” Grant said. “I guess as a public official, you have to be prepared for those kinds of messages, but I didn't really expect that in Natomas."
Out of the 10 candidates running for Natomas Unified School District school board positions, three are Black. The others represent a diverse mix, but after talking to most of the candidates in the race, only the Black candidates are experiencing some level of racism.
RayNette Johnson, member of the Natomas Unified School District school board noted she too has experienced discrimination.
"My political journey has been difficult," Johnson said in a statement. "I have experienced discrimination, favoritism, and likely much more. My heart goes out to my fellow candidate Erika Harden and her family. No one should experience any discriminatory acts in any form. We will not tolerate such behavior in the Natomas District."
Despite these obstacles, the candidates say racism won't stop them from working to better their community.
“It's people who look like me and come from areas like where I grew up [who] need representation, too," Grant said. "So, it's definitely a chance you're taking, for sure."
Harden says she was surprised by the racism but added she isn't going anywhere.
“Stop with all the hatred. Take that somewhere else," Harden said. "And there's plenty more (Black people who are involved) like me so we're not going anywhere."
ABC10 reached out to the Natomas Unified School District for a comment on this story. The district said it is its "core belief is that our diversity is a strength, and that we fully embrace diversity and inclusion and do not tolerate racism in any form." ABC10 also reached out to other candidates on the issue of racism during the school board election. They are all standing in solidarity and say Natomas is better than the racism these candidates are experiencing.
► Stay in the know! Sign up now for the Daily Blend Newsletter
Watch more:
California counties to watch on Election Day