St. Peterburg Mayoral Candidate told a group of activists during a forum Tuesday, July 18 to return back to Africa after the group demanded reparations. 

The 60-year-old Republican candidate Paul Congemi attacked his opponent who is backed by the Uhuru Solidarity Movement and supports reparations, Jesse Nevel, while condemning the protesters. He insisted that election of President Barack Obama was reparations for America's racial atrocities committed toward black people and that the protesters should leave the country if they want more.  

“Mr. Nevel, you and your people talk about reparations,” he said. “The reparations that you talk about, Mr. Nevel, your people already got your reparations. Your reparations came in the form of a man named Barack Obama.”

Congemi proceeds with his rant as others look onward and the gallery moans in disgust. “My advice to you, if you don’t like it here in America, planes leave every hour from Tampa airport. Go back to Africa. Go back to Africa. Go back!”

His opponent has garnered support by commenting and providing solutions for issues like gentrification and police brutality against black people. He even runs on the slogan: “Unity Through Reparations.” Congemi has run for the mayor's office two times prior and dropped out of Pinellas County sheriff race last year, according to The Washington Post. 

In the days following Congemi's controversial statements, past run-ins with the law have been dug up. In 2009, Congemi engaged in a shouting match with KFC employees over an order taking too long. “Don’t touch me. I am running for mayor, and once I get elected you will be fired,” the police report stated. He was not arrested but he was banned from that particular KFC restaurant. 

Then, he was charged with felony elder abuse after his 87-year-old mother ended up hospitalized for bed sores in January but charges were eventually dropped, per the Tampa Bay Times. 

Twitter users urged St. Petersburg residents to not vote for Congemi for these incidents and the recent rant. 

Congemi has gone on record claiming he does not want all black people to go back to Africa, just the protesters.

Back to AfricaPaul CongemiUhuru Movement