NAACP wants councilor censured for remark on Puerto Ricans

EASTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) - The NAACP is calling for the censure of an Easthampton City Councilor after he made a remark that the civil rights group sees as racist against Puerto Ricans.

According to a news release sent to 22News by the NAACP, during a council meeting on December 7, Councilor Donald Cykowski remarked “Where’s a Puerto Rican when you need one?” as someone struggled to enter a locked door.

Easthampton City Council President Joseph McKoy asked for Cykowski to apologize, which he has done. The NAACP, however, says that there should be a formal condemnation of Cykowski by the council, or that Cykowski should resign if he “holds such racist sentiments about Puerto Ricans or any other ethnic group.” They say that neither Cykowski nor McKoy has recognized the remark as being racist.

The Rev. Talbert Swan, President of the Springfield Branch of the NAACP wrote a letter to McKoy saying the remark was offensive to the Puerto Rican community and other citizens throughout the state. “Massachusetts has one of the highest concentrations of Puerto Ricans in the country. Elected officials in Massachusetts should take pride in the fact that Puerto Ricans have contributed to the development, defense, and prosperity of the United States since 1898 when the Island was ceded to the United States at the end of the Spanish-American War,” Swan wrote. “Mr. Cykowski’s racist remarks were not only offensive to members of the council, but to citizens throughout the Commonwealth.”

McKoy told 22News that he believes Cycowski's apology is enough, and drawing more attention to his comments would be counter-productive, but in an interview with 22News, Swan explained why he does not think so. “This man said this in his official capacity as a city councilor, and in a public meeting which was completely reprehensible and I think that he didn't owe just his colleagues and apology but he owes the entire city of Easthampton an apology,” Swan said.

The NAACP says that some may see the Cykowski’s remark as just a harmless joke, but they say that Cykowski, as a public official, should have known better. They say that it is not “race baiting” to criticize Cykowski for words that stereotype an entire race as criminals.

City Council 12/7/2011 from Ecat Channel 5 on Vimeo .

In the video, courtesy of Easthampton Community Access Television , Cykowski's controversial remark is at 18:35