This Mississippi Nurse Wants to Lead a Black Town — And Use the N-Word, Too

A local candidate’s use of racial slurs in a majority Black city has stirred outrage and calls to step down, but her name remains on the ballot.

Rita Rawson (left), who previously served as an alderman in Marion, Mississippi (right), is facing backlash after a video surfaced showing her using racial slurs. She remains on the June 3 ballot.

Rita Rawson, a former nurse in Meridian, is running to serve as alderman in Marion, Mississippi. But folks across the state are asking how someone who spits the N-word like second nature could possibly expect to lead a majority Black town.

Earlier this month, a Tiktok video of Rawson surfaced showing her shouting racial slurs in front of children, even referring to one of them as a “crackhead,” as others beg her to stop. Folks say the children in the video are her biracial grandkids and that she not only uses the word freely but has a deep disdain for Black people.

“She delivers Black babies and don’t even like Black people,” one Facebook post read, shared by a young man claiming to be the boyfriend of Rawson’s granddaughter. In the same post, he alleged that Rawson once punched her own 4-year-old granddaughter—who is biracial—in the mouth. “That’s her own blood,” the post reads. “This ain’t just slander—it’s abuse.”

He says Marion police were contacted, but the family was told there was “nothing [they] can do.” The post also claims she once objected to the girl wearing braids because it made her “look Black.”

Screenshot of Facebook post from a user claiming to be the boyfriend of Rita Rawson's granddaughter.

Dr. Daniel McKiever, a clinic leader at the Women’s Medical Center in Meridian, where Rawson previously worked, confirmed in a response on True Crime Mama’s Facebook post that Rawson is no longer employed there. “Her conduct does not reflect my views or values or those of my employer,” he wrote in a public statement. “This person is no longer providing care with my clinic.”

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A Familiar Face in Local Politics

Rawson is no stranger to Marion. She previously served on the town’s board of aldermen and is now attempting to return to office. On June 3, her name will appear on the ballot for one of five available seats—even after the mayor publicly called on her to withdraw.

“In the town of Marion, there’s no place for racism, bigotry, nor prejudiced behavior—especially from people who seek to serve our community,” said Mayor Larry Gill. “Standing on these principles, I am calling for Mrs. Rita Rawson to immediately withdraw from the incoming alderman’s race.”

Koredé Stennis, a fellow candidate, didn’t mince words either: “Marion deserves leadership not rooted in prejudice or hate,” Stennis said. “This moment is about more than politics. It’s about who we are as a community and what kind of future we are building together.”

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The Town She Wants to Lead Is Mostly Black

Marion, Mississippi, is home to around 1,750 people. Most of them—about 56%—are Black. And though it’s just a few miles outside of Meridian, where Rawson lived and worked, the dynamics around who holds power in these parts still mirror the old South more than many would like to admit.

Historically, small Southern towns like Marion have long had white leadership even when the population is majority Black. Often, those leaders are the same folks with long family roots in the area—ones that tie back to power, land, and influence, even in predominantly Black neighborhoods.

That’s what perhaps makes her candidacy especially disturbing for many residents. She isn’t an outsider. She’s a known figure. A neighbor. A caregiver. A grandmother. And now, to many, a public embarrassment.

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Will She Step Down—or Be Voted Out?

Despite mounting public pressure, Rawson has not publicly addressed the video or the allegations. Multiple attempts by The Meridian Star to reach her were unsuccessful. She remains on the June 3 ballot.

Neither the state nor the city of Marion has the legal authority to forcibly remove her from the race. That power now lies in the hands of voters.

“Marion deserves leadership rooted in respect, inclusion, and integrity,” Stennis said.

I guess it’s something the town will all have to fight for in June.

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13 & South is a new publication covering news, investigative stories, and insights on social justice, policy, and systemic inequities impacting Southern Black communities. I value your insights, and feedback and invite your perspectives to contribute to future issues. Please feel free to contact me here or follow me on my socials! LinkedIn, Twitter, IG, BlueSky, and Threads.

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