Racism is an ugly thing that has no place in our community. Neither should false accusations of racism, which are just as bad.

Unfortunately the latter seems to be perfectly OK for some people.

Among the worst at throwing the race hand grenade are some of our elected officials.

Last week, we chided Natchez Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis for suggesting the City of Natchez’s new law regarding alcohol was discriminatory.

Across the river the false accusations are just as bad.

Recently, Ferriday Alderwoman Gloria Lloyd suggested that she was “disappointed” with the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office scrutiny of the Town of Ferriday — the town in which Lloyd had long helped to lead.

Lloyd wasn’t disappointed that the audit cited several serious problems with Ferriday’s finances. Instead she was disappointed that the audit failed to tar and feather Ferriday Mayor Sherrie Jacobs.

Lloyd said the state had targeted black mayors for financial gaffes, but that Jacobs, who is white, was exonerated of similar problems because she is white.

The only part of Lloyd’s statement that was truthful was the fact that Jacobs is, in fact, white. Lloyd needs to realize that the people of Ferriday elected Jacobs in spite of her being a minority.

The majority of Ferriday’s residents — more than three-quarters — are black, meaning Jacobs mathematically had to have received a significant amount of support from black voters.

Ferriday will not move forward, will not improve and will not get out of its self-made problems until leaders such as Lloyd either change their ways or get booted from office.

Lloyd should apologize both to Jacobs and the Louisiana state auditors for her false accusations.