A Martin Luther King, Jr. banner at Paterson City Hall was replaced, and some are upset

PATERSON — Officials have removed a banner depicting the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., whose image hung in the City Council chambers for almost 12 years, and replaced it with depictions of the Great Falls.

The change, which was made without any public discussion, fueled discord at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting as several members complained they were blindsided by a move they said disrespected a civil rights icon whose birthday will be celebrated next week as a national holiday.

A large King banner was hoisted in the council chambers, right behind where the elected officials sit, in February 2011 as part of that year’s Black History Month celebration. Some version of that banner has remained there ever since, except during a few months eight years ago.

Councilman Luis Velez said he had the King banner replaced by one commemorating the 50^th anniversary of Roberto Clemente’s death in December. But instead of restoring the King image to its previous location at the start of the new year, he instead had the Great Falls banners put up, a decision he said was made with the blessings of City Council President Shahin Khalique and Mayor Andre Sayegh.

“I believe this backdrop should represent everyone in the city of Paterson,” Velez said.

He said decorations and banners for various cultural groups could be added to the chambers for celebrations and then be removed. He cited, as examples, what happened with decorations for events held at City Hall by Paterson’s Dominican and Puerto Rican communities. He insisted that the removal of the King banner should not be seen as disrespectful.

“Next month is going to be Black History Month,” Velez said. “If they want to decorate the whole entire chambers, they can do so. Nobody is telling them they cannot do it.

“Everybody can celebrate at their own time,” the councilman added. “If you want to crucify me for that, go ahead. But I don’t think I’m doing something to divide anybody.”

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But several of Velez’s African American council colleagues took strong issue with the change.

Councilwoman Lilisa Mimms said Velez had no authority to make a unilateral decision to change the décor in the chambers and demanded that the King banner be put back up. Councilwoman Ruby Cotton bemoaned the fact that the King image was not restored with his birthday being celebrated this month. Councilman Michael Jackson called Velez’s use of “they” in talking about the Black History Month celebration “grossly disparaging."

“He’s not a Black hero, he’s an American hero,” Jackson said of King. Moments later, Jackson pointed toward the Great Falls banners and said, “That right there, that’s a huge disrespect.”

Paterson Press asked the mayor whether he agreed with erecting the Great Falls banner in place of the King image, but he did not give his opinion on the change, saying he had no control over what gets put up in the council chambers.

"The City Council determines what banners are displayed in their chamber,” Sayegh said. “My influence is in my office, where I have pictures of both Roberto Clemente and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. prominently featured on the wall.”

Sayegh said that when Velez broached the banner subject to him, he advised the councilman to seek the opinion of all his colleagues.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Jackson targeted Velez’s comments about Sayegh’s input on the change.

“Nobody solicited and exploited the African American vote more than this mayor,” Jackson said.

Asked for a response to Jackson’s criticism, Sayegh said, “His focus should be on his upcoming criminal trial for voter fraud and not on shameless grandstanding.”

Khalique, the council president, on Tuesday said critics of the change in banners were enflaming the issue and pouring “kerosine on the fire.” Khalique noted that the council never took a formal vote when the King banner was put up in the chambers more than a decade ago.

Velez in an interview on Wednesday morning called the critics of the banner change “petty.”

“They want to divide the community without any reason,” Velez said. “It’s not hurting anybody.”

Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press.

Email: editor@patersonpress.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson NJ City Council chambers Martin Luther King, Jr. banner