MIDLOTHIAN, Texas — The Manley family moved back to North Texas for safety, security and peace. Instead, they said they've been met with hate, seeing their home vandalized multiple times with racial slurs and their son bullied at school.
It has been weeks, 10-year-old Jalen Manley said, since he's felt secure in his Midlothian home.
"I didn’t feel safe at all," Jalen said. "I don’t sleep in my room."
It all started at school when Jalen told his father Will Manley about being picked on by another student at school.
"He said the first thing he said was mama jokes," Will said. "[He said,] he was acting like he wanted to call me the N-word. Then he says, 'He calls me a monkey.'"
Days later, it happened again.
Explain Will: "This time, [he said,] 'He called me a Nigerian princess.'"
Jalen said he felt unwelcomed in the town and at school as a result of that bullying.
"It’s like he does it around other kids," Jalen said. "It’s like, 'Why do you act nice when there’s no one [around], but you act bad in front of other kids?' That’s how I kind of felt."
When Will spoke with one of the other student's parents about the issue, he believed the problem was resolved.
Then, in October, Jalen’s mother Tanya Manley noticed racial slurs spray-painted on one of the windows of their home.
"It read, 'Go back to Africa, [n-word],'" Will said. "Someone had just come in my backyard and did this -- boldly."
Will and Tanya cleaned the racial graffiti before their son Jalen could see it.
Then, the next week, someone banged on the house near Jalen’s room in the middle of the night.
"I woke up immediately," Jalen said. "I was sweating too. It was just, like, almost the baddest night of my life."
When Manleys inspected what had happened, they found someone had once again spray-painted racial slurs on the exterior of their home.
"'Burn it down,'" Will said the words read. "'Die, [n-word]. This time, my son saw it."
The words frightened Jalen.
"I was scared," he said. "I thought they were actually going to do those things. There was some really scary things on the walls."
Added Will: "Put yourself in our shoes -- not just for me, for my son. For my son and the impact this has played on him. I hurt for him."
It's a hurt that both Tanya and Will have tried to explain to their son.
"It’s been very difficult to have those conversations and put on brave face and try to let him know that he’s safe with us being scared ourselves,” said Tanya.
“I know that right now is my critical time as a father to be able to be there for him, to educate him, to not sugarcoat it, and get him to understand what lies ahead," said Will.
Since the graffiti was painted, Midlothian Police have placed cruisers and officers on regular patrol outside the Manley family home.
The family has also gotten support from their mayor and other local community members.
In a statement, the Midlothian Independent School District condemned the racism the Manleys were facing.
"The Manleys are part of our Midlothian ISD family and we rally around them," the statement read. "We were deeply saddened to learn about the vandalism of their home, particularly the racial slurs, and have no tolerance for this kind of behavior. Midlothian is a strong, supportive community that comes together to care for neighbors in a time of need."
While Midlothian Police investigate the vandalism, One Church's Pastor Demetrius McClendon is helping the family with temporary housing.
"This little boy, who will some day be a grown Black man, needs to know that the community in which he lives in will come together and rally," Pastor McClendon said.
Saturday, the community plans to cover up the slurs painting love over hate.
"We feel a lot better that the community has come and said, 'This is not what we’re going to stand for,'" said Tanya. "I kept thinking, 'I’m not going to have my husband and son paint over that. I don’t want them to have to do that task. They’ve already been traumatized enough.'"
Jalen said he also appreciates how the community has shown support.
"I feel way more stronger than I was when it happened," said Jalen. “It made me think there’s more good in the community than bad."