By Christopher Young,
Contributing Writer,
Last week State Auditor – Shadrack Tucker White – was back at it with another report. He’s a report generating machine. Per the website, www.osa.ms.gov, he’s produced thousands. Some of his reports – the ones he calls Special Reports – are the ones that usually catch my eye. Those include titles like – A Review of Jackson Public School’s JROTC Program, Brain Drain, The High Cost of Violent Crime in Mississippi, Taxpayer Cost of Fatherlessness, The Cost of “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” Programs at Mississippi’s Public Universities, Plugging the Brain Drain: Investing in College Majors That Actually Work, etc. Just last week though, he took aim – or in his words – “shining light,” on non-profits in Mississippi.
He issued a news release and then had a media availability that several broadcast stations grabbed hold of September 22, 2025. That way he can get his big ole findings out to his base, https://www.osa.ms.gov/news/audit-uncovers-more-nonprofits-wasting-taxpayer-funds.
Under the banner of, “The government is wasting so much money,” White explains what he deems as questionable spending by three Jackson non-profits obtaining federal pass-through grants from Mississippi Department of Health and the Mississippi Department of Human Services. In front of the broadcast cameras, he shared that the non-profit spending that he is questioning doesn’t align with the values of most Mississippians and that people elected him to office not just because he’s good with numbers, but because he represents their values. We’ll get back to that.
Cause IQ, a non-profit growth and services company in Seattle, WA, says there are over 6,000 non-profits in the Greater Jackson Metro. The three that White highlighted are all African American. In the auditor’s news Release, found at the hyperlink above, White uses italics several times when they don’t appear needed – “disadvantaged Mississippians” and “incentive” gift cards and “addressing health disparities in African American youth.” Who do you suppose White’s audience is? We know a dog-whistle when we hear it.
He really dove in deep over the Executive Director’s philosophy found on the Juanita Sims Doty Foundation website, which states, “one cannot make a good choice when historically, both choices end badly for people of color.” He went on to say the non-profit used that statement as the basis of its “Racial Equity Work.” Words like that make a guy like him – upset.
White is one of those “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” guys. We know all about them. He complained about non-profit employee salaries, citing JSDF’s Executive Director’s (Karla McCullough, Ph.D.) salary but did not mention that his salary was $90,000 in 2023, but was given a 66.66 percent raise in 2024, to $150,000 per the Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System. Look at all those 6’s.
The Juanita Sims Doty Foundation – https://jsdfoundation.com , My Brother’s Keeper – https://www.mbkinc.org , and 100 Black Men of Jackson – https://www.100bmoj.org , represent so much good in our community. These organizations give, teach, lift, mentor, and grow community members, especially the youth.
People like White sadden me. So much ability, a brilliant mind, a Christian family man, educated at fine schools like University of Mississippi, St. John’s College in Oxford, United Kingdom, and Harvard Law. He’s too smart to not know better. He knows exactly what he’s doing when he looks for ways to try and knock the African American community down. He dispatches these age-old dog whistles. He does his best to drag three honorable Jackson non-profits through the mud – of course he knows. If he could use his intelligence, his heart, and his Christian beliefs for good, he would be blinded by the positive impact of these African American organizations in our community.
Instead, the persecution of African Americans continues in Mississippi. Mr. Auditor, why not shine your light on state agencies that gave 99.37 percent of contracting expenditures to white people in 2024? Or on the preventable causes of our state’s devastating poverty? Or on our state’s health posture? Or the pollution generated by Amite Bioenergy in Gloster, Mississippi, and others like it that are deliberately licensed to operate in majority-African American communities?
We all see, even the Lord sees what’s going on. Tell us how much your 371-page report, targeting these three African American non-profits, cost Mississippi taxpayers to prepare. Who’s wasting taxpayer money? We’ll keep shining a light, Mister Auditor. “This little light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, oh let it shine.” (lyrics by Harry Dixon Loes).
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