St. Petersburg City Council candidate draws ire for support of Louis Farrakhan
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ST. PETERSBURG — Longtime community activist Brother John Muhammad is one of seven candidates who applied to be appointed to the open seat representing southwestern St. Petersburg on the City Council.
He’s getting much of the attention from those weighing in on the selection of the District 7 City Council member, which could come as soon as Thursday.
Muhammad, whose legal name is John C. Malone, is drawing ire for his support of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. The Southern Poverty Law Center describes Farrakhan as “an antisemite who routinely accuses Jews of manipulating the U.S. government and controlling the levers of world power.”
Former mayoral candidate Vince Nowicki is circulating a dossier of Muhammad’s tweets in which the council candidate has expressed support for Farrakhan. Nowicki is the same person who recently filed an ethics complaint against Mayor Ken Welch and hired a private investigator to prove former District 7 council member Lisa Wheeler-Bowman wasn’t living in her district shortly before she resigned from the seat.
Nowicki shared that dossier in a mass email titled “Hate Speech Conspiracist Has No Place in Local Politics” to news media outlets and local officials. He first reached out to City Council members last week.
“Louis Farrakhan is not a good man and I find it to be morally reprehensible to appoint Brother John Muhammad who has citied Farrakhan’s hate speech and disgusting rhetoric as an inspiration to their personal and political career,” he wrote.
The Florida Holocaust Museum noted a 2016 video by Muhammad titled, “A conversation about growing up Black and LGBT.”
“As a Muslim and a Nation of Islam (leader), minister Farrakhan got accused of being antisemitic for a long time because he pointed out and made some corrections about the activity of Jews,” Muhammad said in the video. “Anybody who says anything critical of the Jewish community is labeled as being antisemitic. Good, bad, right or wrong. It doesn’t matter what you say. If you criticize them, that’s what you are. And I’m finding that it seems like that happens when you are critical of the gay community, when you say anything critical or anything that doesn’t align with the ideology. Then all of the sudden you’re homophobic.”
Muhammad works for Florida Rising, a statewide organization that seeks to build political power among historically marginalized communities. He has spent 10 years as president of the Childs Park Neighborhood Association, one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, most recently working to identify the source of a pervasive smell likely coming from the neighborhood’s industrial corridor.
Muhammad told the Tampa Bay Times that the charge of antisemitism is “unfounded.”
“I’ve never and do not to this day harbor any hatred in my heart for anyone,” Muhammad said. “I’ve never advocated for violence. I’ve been a champion in my community for peace.”
He said he’s heard concerns about his religion, even serving as president of his neighborhood association.
“We’re debating whether or not I should be appointed to council based on my religion, not on my service in the community and the service I’ve rendered,” he said. “I don’t want to get into conversations about statements that were made by minister Louis Farrakhan because they have nothing to do for the job that we are applying for at this moment.”
Florida Holocaust Museum board chairperson Mike Igel said Muhammad’s support of Farrakhan is disqualifying.
“A person cannot support and be such a champion and exhibit hero worship for Louis Farrakhan and say that they stand for peace and inclusion. Those are completely incongruent concepts,” Igel said. “I’m not speaking to anything he’s done or hasn’t done in the community. Any support or connection to Louis Farrakhan cannot be tolerated.”
Pinellas County Commissioner Rene Flowers, who formerly served as the District 7 council member, publicly posted her support for Muhammad’s appointment to the council. She emailed a reply back at Nowicki, questioning his motives.
“Louis Farrakhan is not running for office nor requesting to be appointed in the city of St. Petersburg,” she wrote. “I find it incredibly offensive that you would suggest for one minute that your motives are pure and that you are doing something to help enhance those of black and brown skin in the city of St. Petersburg.
“I have never voted based on my religion and I sincerely do not believe that Brother John Muhammad will do so,” Flowers continued. “We agree on one thing, you are right, hate speeches and conspiracy theories have no place starting with your communication!”
The City Council will meet at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, when each applicant is invited to speak to their qualifications and answer questions previously submitted by the public.
The other applicants are former City Council member and state Rep. Wengay Newton, minister and financial representative Corey Givens Jr., restaurateur Daniel Soronen, law student Moneer Kheireddine, social worker Glenn Wilder and retired engineer Lorne Abrams.
