Sade Perkins, a former member of Houston’s Food Insecurity Board, is facing intense criticism after posting a controversial TikTok video in which she referred to Camp Mystic, the flood-devastated girls’ summer camp in Texas, as a “white-only” Christian camp.
The video, posted amid a mounting death toll from catastrophic flooding in the Texas Hill Country, sparked outrage online and drew condemnation from Houston Mayor John Whitmire. Officials have now confirmed at least 70 deaths, with many children still missing, including 11 campers and a counselor from Camp Mystic, located along the Guadalupe River.
Perkins’ Video Sparks Backlash
In the 2.5-minute TikTok, Perkins said:
“I know I’m going to get canceled for this, but Camp Mystic is a white-only girls’ Christian camp. They don’t even have a token Asian. They don’t have a token Black person. It’s an all-white, white-only conservative Christian camp.”
The video triggered swift and widespread backlash, with critics calling her remarks divisive and insensitive given the ongoing tragedy.
City of Houston Responds
Mayor John Whitmire’s office issued a statement Sunday, distancing the city from Perkins and condemning her comments:
“The comments shared on social media are deeply inappropriate and have no place in a decent society, especially as families grieve the confirmed deaths and the ongoing search for the missing.”
The mayor clarified that Perkins is not currently a city employee and that her appointment to the Food Insecurity Board — made in 2023 by former Mayor Sylvester Turner — expired in January 2025. However, he emphasized that there are “immediate steps” underway to remove her from the board permanently, with no plans to reappoint her.
Flood Disaster Update
According to Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha, the area surrounding Camp Mystic is among the hardest hit. Sixteen bodies were recovered there since Saturday afternoon alone, bringing the county’s total fatalities to 59, including 21 children.
Search and rescue operations are still underway, as dozens remain missing after the Guadalupe River rapidly overflowed following severe overnight rainfall. Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian girls’ camp, was hosting over 700 attendees when the floodwaters surged into the area.
