Former Houston appointee Sade Perkins recently sparked a firestorm in social media and local politics after making controversial claims about Camp Mystic, a Texas summer camp devastated by catastrophic flooding that claimed dozens of lives. The viral TikTok video, which she posted this weekend, asserts that the camp was ‘White-only, conservative, and Christian,’ a statement that has drawn significant backlash from local officials and the public.
Perkins, a former member of the Houston Food Insecurity Board, was appointed by former Mayor Sylvester Turner in 2023, with her term set to expire in January 2025. However, her comments about Camp Mystic, which had been hit by massive floods, have led to immediate repercussions. The office of Houston Mayor John Whitmire confirmed to Fox News Digital that Perkins had posted the video, and the mayor’s office has already condemned her remarks as ‘deeply inappropriate.’ Whitmire’s office also announced that Perkins would not be reappointed to the board and would be permanently removed from the position.
In her video, Perkins began by acknowledging that she was ‘probably gonna get canceled for this.’ She went on to say, ‘But Camp Mystic is a Whites-only girls Christian camp. They don’t even have a token Asian, they don’t have a Token Black person, it is a all White, White-only conservative Christian camp.’ Perkins further claimed, ‘If you ain’t White, you ain’t right. You ain’t getting in; you ain’t going, period.’ These statements have been met with outrage, particularly given the context of the camp’s tragic situation.
Perkins also claimed that the media’s attention toward the story was disproportionate, suggesting that if the missing or dead were of a different ethnic group, they would not receive the same level of coverage. She said, ‘They want you to have sympathy for these people. They want to get out of your bed and to come out of your home and to go find these people and to donate your money to go to find these people.’ She added, ‘Meanwhile, they are deporting your family members. Meanwhile, they’re setting up concentration camps and prisons for your family members. And I need you all to keep that in mind before you all get out there and put on your rain boots and go find these little girls.’
The mayor’s office issued a formal statement condemning Perkins’ comments, stating that they have ‘no place in a decent society, especially as families grieve the confirmed deaths and the ongoing search for the missing.’ The statement also noted that Whitmire ‘will not reappoint her and is taking immediate steps to remove her permanently from the board.’ This is a powerful indication of the city’s stance against the inflammatory remarks.
At least 80 deaths have been confirmed from the catastrophic flood as of Sunday, a large number being children. At least 10 campers from Camp Mystic are still missing. These tragic numbers highlight the severity of the situation and the gravity of the loss that the families and community are dealing with. The emotional distress for the families involved is compounded by the controversial comments from Perkins, making it even more challenging to focus on the essential needs of the affected individuals.
This situation continues to draw attention and underscores the sensitive intersection of social media, public perception, and community response to tragedy. As the search for the missing and the grieving process unfold, the incident serves as a reminder of the importance of responsible discourse in times of crisis.