COVINGTON, Ky. -- Ahead of the federal Martin Luther King Day holiday this past Monday, an out-of-town splinter group of the KKK snuck into towns and cities across Greater Cincinnati – including Covington – and posted hateful and racist flyers. To be clear, Covington wasn’t the only area targeted, and this wasn’t the first time. In fact, this group does this several times a year.

The City of Covington’s response to these flyers over the years has been strong and consistent, and lest there be confusion, we want to reiterate these points:

1. The goal of these hateful flyers and the people who posted them is to get attention, to get free publicity, to get City leaders and the news media and residents talking about the KKK’s disgraceful message. We’re not in the mood to elevate and advertise this attempt at division and to help them recruit. We are not sharing images of the flyers, nor are we going on TV news to call attention to their cause.
2. These flyers that seek to divide us are not going to get traction in The Cov. At the same time, our residents should not have to live in fear or with anxiety. Whereas the First Amendment protects even reprehensible beliefs and the people who hold them, it does not protect harassment and intimidation. The Covington Police Department continues to monitor the situation for threats, threatening behavior, attempts at intimidation, and violent acts … and if they see any, our officers WILL act. And we encourage our residents to report any such occurrences.
3. Covington is an inclusive city open to people of all races and heritages. This page on our website -- "Inclusive" -- explains how we put that philosophy into practice. And we should note that Covington voters recently made Covington the largest city in Kentucky to ever have elected a mayor who is African-American, and he ran unopposed. During his recent inaugural address, Mayor Ron Washington said this:

“As your mayor, I work for the 40,000 residents of Covington …

Our city has shown just how welcoming it can be. Covington made history by electing its first Black mayor – but that’s not because of my race, but because of my qualifications and the content of my character.  

My friends of color have been waiting for a long time for this, and I understand their excitement and anxiety. 

No city our size in Kentucky has ever done that – elected a black mayor. Not Louisville, not Lexington, not Bowling Green nor Owensboro. 

Covington is diverse, and we are a city that deeply respects and celebrates diversity.  

We honor our LGBTQ community, our Black and Brown neighbors, liberals, conservatives, libertarian, and everyone in between. In the long run, we are in this together, and we value everyone who brings their unique identity and perspective to the table.   

This commitment to being inclusive is not just part of our past—it is the bedrock of our future. Under my administration, this will not change. It’s this diversity and mutual respect that makes us strong and allows us to thrive as a united community.”