One of the Facebook posts featured Gov. Wes Moore with a clown nose. Another showed three monkeys and sharp criticism of public financing for the redevelopment of Harborplace.

The monkey post came from the account of former City Council member Anthony J. Ambridge and appeared on a private Facebook group with 1,200 followers. The clown post, which described the state as a three-ring circus, appeared in the same group and was posted by a user identified as Rein Kreek. Both posts caused an uproar from people who said they were racist and aimed at Black leadership.

MCB Real Estate, a Black-run company led by P. David Bramble, plans to develop Harborplace. Both Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott have urged voters to support the project.

MCB bought Harborplace for nearly $83 million after its previous owner defaulted on a loan and the property came under the control of a court-appointed receiver. The project calls for razing the existing two-story pavilions in favor of two adjoined residential towers with 900 units plus two large commercial buildings. The designs feature space for retail, restaurants, a park and an amphitheater.

But the project, which is expected to cost at least $900 million, must get the approval of voters who will decide yay or nay on Question F in this year’s election. Bramble has said at least $400 million would be needed from the public sector — though he has stated it won’t come from city government. Predevelopment legislation all but sailed through the Baltimore City Council earlier this year.

Scott believes that Bramble’s race, combined with him trying to bring Black businesses and opportunity to Harborplace, is fueling the opposition.

“It’s only because Dave is involved. If one of their white] friends was saying the exact thing, you wouldn’t hear a peep,” Scott said.

Kreek did not return requests for comment.

Tuesday afternoon, Ambridge responded to The Baltimore Banner article after not returning initial calls for comment before the story ran.

“I meant no offense and, as soon as someone expressed concern, I replaced the image with three (white) men from the ancient axiom — see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil,” Ambridge said in an email. “I hate the toxicity of political discourse today and certainly did not mean to fuel it.”

Ambridge touted his career as a “lifelong Democrat” and four-term Councilman representing a “majority Black district in East Baltimore.”

He added: “I have a long record of proudly advocating for civil rights. I was the lead sponsor creating the City’s first MBE program and pulling the City’s money out of companies investing in apartheid South Africa,” he said.

Ambridge also recently appeared on WBAL Radio to talk about the issue. He wasn’t asked about the Facebook post on the show.

”I just hate the way this happened. It was done secretly in a backroom,” Ambridge said — describing the plan as being the result of a “land grab.”

“Nobody knew about the sweetheart deal that was coming forth,” he said.

Ambridge said he would prefer if the planned residential buildings would be moved back from the water instead of creating a “wall.”

When questioned why no other developers bid for the opportunity to take over Harborplace after years of disrepair, Ambridge pushed back, saying: “Again, if any developer had known that they had the ability to have an unlimited canvas as this guy has, dozens would have lined up to bid on it.”

Ambridge stressed that property belongs to the “citizens of Baltimore.”

Thinly-veiled and overtly racist comments have become a daily part of political discourse this election season. At a recent Donald Trump rally, insults were hurled at Puerto Ricans, DEI was attacked, and a Trump policy adviser repeated a version of a slogan used by the Ku Klux Klan.

Scott still thinks it’s about more.

“It’s just such blatant cloaked racism. Dave is from West Baltimore. He’s a Baltimore boy. He comes from the same reality I have. When you grew up, you knew the Inner Harbor was not for you,” Scott added.

The Moore administration did not respond to a request for comment. Bramble referred The Banner to a statement by Jon Laria, chairman of Baltimore for a New Harborplace, the ballot issue committee supporting the passage of Question F.

“Question F is about moving Baltimore forward, not back, and the offensive racist images and stereotypes are taking us back to a grim time in our city and country. These opponents are insulting and demeaning Black Baltimoreans, but all Baltimoreans should be appalled and reject their outrageous attacks, including at the ballot box. Their message is beneath us as a community and a city,” Laria wrote.

Ambridge said in his email response that race has nothing to do with his opposition.

“I would be just as mad and vocal if the City was giving the Inner Harbor away to a white developer,” he wrote. “Making this about race is a tactic by the Mayor and MCB because they cannot defend giving a $400 million subsidy and 5 acres of parkland to a private developer to replace Harborplace with luxury high-rises.”

Thinly-veiled and overtly racist comments have become a daily part of political discourse this election season. At a recent Donald Trump rally, insults were hurled at Puerto Ricans, DEI was attacked, and a Trump policy adviser repeated a version of a slogan used by the Ku Klux Klan.

Associating Black people with monkeys, apes and chimpanzees to dehumanize Black people has a long racist history in this country.

A 2008 Vogue cover featuring Lebron James and Gisele Bündchen drew ire for its comparison to King Kong. Roseanne Barr eventually lost her acting gig on “The Connors” after comparing Valerie Jarrett to a monkey. Barr said at the time she did not know Jarrett was Black. The Obamas were repeatedly compared to monkeys throughout their eight-year tenure in The White House.

Black politicians say dealing with racism is part of the job. The vitriol has been particularly pervasive during election season, they said.

City council member Phylicia Porter vividly remembers the social media post that threatened her life last fall.

“What if we tell drug dealers,” the post said, and listed Porter’s address. The past year, Porter has received 15 threats that have included social media posts, emails and voicemail messages wishing her death.

“I was fearful for my life,” Porter said. “I was disappointed in the state of politics.”

But that did not deter Porter from continuing to work. In fact, she said it did the opposite.

“I felt emboldened. It prompted me to speak up more,” she said.

From the slavery era to today, derogatory language and hateful depictions have been weaponized to dehumanize Black individuals, said Chrissy Thornton, president and CEO of Associated Black Charities. She condemned the social media posts about Harborplace.

“Associated Black Charities (ABC) will not tolerate these assaults — whether subtle or overt — against Black leaders and officials,” she said in a statement. “We recognize that words matter, images matter, and narratives matter. They shape public opinion, perpetuate cycles of harm, and create an atmosphere where discrimination and violence are excused or even encouraged.”

Baltimore Banner reporter Hallie Miller contributed to this story.