Mayor Jamie Mayo gave Louis Farrakhan the key at an event with other city leaders at the airport recently, where Farrakhan spoke.

Farrakhan is a controversial figure.

He leads a group called the Nation of Islam which is designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group.

It's been reported he's also referred to Judaism as a gutter religion and made many other comments that have been called anti-Semitic and anti-gay.

City Councilwoman Juanita Woods was at the meeting with Farrakhan and said she was not aware of his past and went on to say that day he spoke of love and togetherness.

“I've got so much admiration for this man, he spoke so eloquently about us all coming together and it was just a time of coming together and it was just a beautiful time just listening to the minister,” said Woods.

The mayor's office responded to our requests for comment saying the mayor was aware of Mr. Farrakhan's past statements but that his visit to Monroe was positive.

They went on to say the meeting at the airport was a brief meet and greet with Mr. Farrakhan who was in town for his granddaughter's graduation from Grambling.