Mayor thinks Sacha Baron Cohen might not have filmed in Kingman

PHOENIX — Kingman mayor Monica Gates said she’s disgusted by the comments by apparent city residents on Sacha Baron Cohen’s show “Who is America.”

But further than that, she’s not even sure the racist comments were made by residents, or if the recording was even in Kingman.

On the show, Cohen’s character pitched an idea to a group of people that Kingman should construct the largest mosque outside the Middle East. Reactions from the room were racist and anti-Muslim – one person even saying “I’m racist toward Muslims” – thrusting the city into the national spotlight.

Gates told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Mac and Gaydos on Friday that someone sent a flyer about the meeting. It said the meeting happened in the library, but Gates noted that part of it took place after the library closed. Meetings at these hours require security, and there was no request for security in the library that day.

Furthermore, Gates said the library didn’t have records of the meeting occurring “on that date and time.”

“We cannot confirm that the meeting did occur in the city of Kingman,” she said. “What is absolutely unfair is that this portrayed this wonderful city in a negative light. and the people that were in that room that said those horrible, racist comments absolutely do not represent our community and our residents.”

Gates’ belief that the meeting didn’t occur in Kingman, or at least was used without residents, also stems from the faces on screen. She said she doesn’t recognize anyone, though “I have heard from some individuals in the community that they may not be Kingman residents, but that person does look familiar.”

The city, consisting of 30,000 people, is 88.8 percent white, according to the U.S. Census. Citizens with some Hispanic heritage make up 11.6 percent of the population and 1.1 percent is black.

A post on Kingman’s Facebook page following the show’s release said the city is preparing to “use this opportunity to keep moving our community forward.” Gates, who said she wasn’t part of the press release, insisted measures mentioned in the post are not a reaction to the video, but are in the process of being developed.

“There were all plans that were in the works,” Gates said.

In May 2017, the city passed a measure to recognize “the values of diversity, equity and inclusion.” The Interfaith Council consists of 11 houses of worship she said, and they are working to better honor holidays including Martin Luther King, Jr., Day and National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Additionally, the city hired a city manager who is in the process of hiring a public relations officer whose responsibilities will include ensuring “that all of these dates, including National Hispanic Heritage Month, Martin Luther King Day, all of these are on the calendar and we as a community celebrate or memorialize these events.”

“(It’s) not a reaction,” Gates said. “This has been in the works, where we recognize that we are going to speed up our timeline and we are going to come out of this stronger.”

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