ST. PETERSBURG -- St. Petersburg City Council is set to swear in a community activist as a new city council member, Thursday morning, despite objections to his support for
the Nation of Islam and Louis Farrakhan.
After Jewish groups and the Florida Holocaust Museum complained, Brother John Muhammad told council his opposition was not "diverse."
Representatives of the local Jewish Federation complained that Muhammad had misrepresented their responses to his attempt to reach out to them as an endorsement.
Council voted 4-3 to appoint Muhammad, also known as John C. Malone, to fill the remaining term of Lisa Wheeler-Bowman, who resigned after real estate developer Vincent Nowicki discovered she had moved out of her district.
Nowicki, who also found Muhammad's support for Farrakhan on social media, says the voters never would have endorsed the community activist. "A citywide election... I don't believe he would have gotten consensus." Nowicki insists Muhammad only turned to his supporters, urging them to e-mail council supporting his nomination. Nowicki says Muhammad failed to build support with other entities, such as police and fire unions and lobbyists.
Muhammad will serve until next year's elections.
Listen to an interview with Vincent Nowicki below:
Photo: Canva