HOUSTON — A former Houston mayoral appointee is facing intense backlash after making racially charged remarks in the wake of a devastating Texas flood that claimed the lives of 27 young girls at Camp Mystic in the Hill Country.
Sade Perkins, Democrat, a former member of the Houston Food Insecurity Board, sparked outrage after posting a video to social media that minimized the tragedy and focused instead on the race of the victims. Her comments came as families grieved and rescue efforts continued for more than 200 people still missing or dead across multiple Texas counties.
“It is [an] all White, White-only conservative Christian camp,” Perkins said in the video, without offering sympathy or acknowledging the broader devastation. “It’s not to say that we don’t want the girls to be found, whatever girls that are missing … but you best believe, especially in today’s political climate, if this were a group of Hispanic girls … this would not be getting this type of coverage that they’re getting. No one would give a f—.”
Perkins further claimed the camp “doesn’t even have a token Asian” or “token Black person,” dismissing the gravity of the children’s deaths and suggesting media coverage was racially biased.
Critics have denounced the remarks as cruel, divisive and deeply inappropriate, particularly coming during a period of collective mourning. Perkins did not mention any of the other victims—many from diverse backgrounds—who have also died in the widespread flooding.
Despite the outrage, a crowdfunding campaign launched on GiveSendGo titled “Support for Sade Perkins” seeks to raise $20,000 for what organizers call her “legal support.” The fundraiser, posted by Marian Hills, includes photos of some of the deceased children—an act many have called exploitative.
“Sade Perkins is being publicly targeted for telling the truth,” Hills wrote. “After the devastating flood at Camp Mystic, Sade, like many of us, was heartbroken. But she also had the courage to say what others wouldn’t: Would this response have looked different if the victims were Hispanic or Black girls?”
The fundraiser claims Perkins is being harassed and stalked. Houston Mayor John Whitmire confirmed Perkins is no longer affiliated with the city, but Hills contended that Perkins had resigned earlier this year when her term expired.
The campaign further asserts that criticism of Perkins amounts to “racialized violence,” despite her incendiary and racially exclusive framing of the tragedy.
“Sade simply spoke up about racial disparity in emergency response, something many have quietly thought but were too afraid to say. And the hate she’s getting? It’s not just disagreement, it’s racialized violence in plain sight,” the post states.
Hills went so far as to claim, “if a white public figure had made the same comment, it would have sparked debate, not a takedown,” arguing that Perkins is being silenced because she is a Black woman.
As of Thursday afternoon, the fundraiser had raised just over $400. Many donations were accompanied by usernames expressing strong criticism—some with offensive language and even threats, which have drawn further concern from civil rights observers and free speech advocates.
Perkins has not commented publicly since the backlash, but her partner, Rev. Colin Bossen, distanced himself from the controversy in a statement posted on his website.
“My partner Sadé Perkins has made comments on social media regarding the horrific flooding that devastated Camp Mystic. I want to be clear that I disavow her comments,” Bossen wrote. “While she was not speaking on my behalf or on behalf of my congregation, I recognize that her comments have caused harm to many who are experiencing terrible loss and anxiety.”
While the broader Houston community continues to mourn the lives lost in one of the state’s worst flooding disasters in recent history, Perkins’ remarks have been condemned as a tone-deaf and divisive intrusion into a tragedy that demanded compassion, not controversy.
