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Residents meet with police, mayor to discuss racist fliers in St. Paul

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Published  October 22, 2025 9:39pm CDT
St. Paul
FOX 9
Mayor Carter responds to racist fliers in St. Paul

Mayor Carter responds to racist fliers in St. Paul

Mayor Melvin Carter addressed a crowd of concerned St. Paul residents after racist fliers were found posted in the city. FOX 9's Mike Manzoni has the full report.

The Brief

    • Residents met with police and community leaders Wednesday night to discuss concerns over racist fliers.
    • The fliers, which targeted Black and Somali people, were found in several areas around Merriam Park on Oct. 2.
    • Police said they are trying to track down the person or group responsible; it was not clear whether a crime occurred.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - About two dozen residents met with police officers and community leaders on Wednesday night to share their concerns about racist fliers found in St. Paul earlier this month.

Community holds meeting about racist fliers

What happened:

Concerned residents and community leaders gathered at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in the Midway to discuss their concerns about fliers distributed in several neighborhoods on Oct. 2. The fliers targeted Black and Somali people with vile remarks. One flier featured a photo of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a racist twist on one of his famous quotes.

The investigation:

Police said the fliers were tossed on the ground in four spots around Merriam Park. They said they have not yet identified the person or group responsible and said it is unclear whether any crime occurred. Police said what happened could constitute littering or trespassing.

Mayor, others react to 'horrible, racist fliers'

What they're saying:

Several people spoke at the meeting, including police officers, community leaders and the mayor.

"I didn’t think that kind of stuff was a part of the way we were here in St. Paul, where I’ve lived my whole life," said Jamil Jabr, who found some of the fliers. "I didn’t really think that people were really like that anymore."

Mayor Melvin Carter urged the crowd not to allow the fliers to tear the community apart.

"If we’re being honest, we might never know who put up those terrible, horrible, racist fliers," he said. "But we know what they were trying to do; they were trying to get us to turn against each other."

St. PaulCrime and Public Safety