Racially charged flyer against Councilman Daniel Rivera circulated in black community

A flyer circulating in Jersey City’s predominately black neighborhoods accuses at-Large Councilman Daniel Rivera of “NOT supporting the BLACK YOUTH of Jersey City.”

“Shame on Councilman Danny Rivera” is the title of a racially charged flyer circulating in Jersey City’s black community regarding controversy surrounding the hiring practices of the Jersey City Recreation Department under Director Ryan Strother, appointed by Mayor Steven Fulop.

The flyer, which accuses Rivera of preferring black youth “STAND ON CORNERS or get LOCKED UP rather than working and being positive,” comes on the heels of two employees of the recreation department speaking out against what they claimed was discrimination against non-African Americans under Strother.

Rivera, who is Latino (of Puerto Rican descent), is quoted as saying “too many black kids got jobs” in the flyer. Hudson County View is unable to verify if that is an actual quote.

Multiple sources speaking under the condition of anonymity accused Muhammed Akil, the former Chief of Staff to Fulop who now works in the recreation department, of being the mastermind of the flyer.

When asked via telephone if he could confirm or deny those rumors, Akil referred Hudson County View to Jersey City Spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill – who was unable to provide immediate comment.

In October of 2014, Akil was exposed for his radical past which included hate speech against whites and homosexuals – as well as his private business enterprise, which dates back to his radical days, and a non-profit with a revoked 501(c)(3) status.

Rivera told Hudson County View that he found the flyer to be “tasteless” and that he was upset because “I know my ethics in terms of youth recreation for all of Jersey City, regardless of race, and what the flyer claims is the total opposite of what I stand for. My goal is to make sure jobs and programs are made available to kids from the entire city.”

He added that he thought the flyer could be in response to him requesting a list of all the kids hired from the 2014 “Stop the Drop” summer jobs program – which he has still not received. Rivera wanted to make it clear that the request was not an attack on Strother, and that he thinks the recreation director is “doing a good job.”

When asked if he believed Akil was behind the flyer, Rivera said “I don’t know, but I’m from Jersey City and we put our names on things.”