Story at a glance:
- Ellie Kemper apologized for being a part of a debutante ball with connections to Confederate soldiers and alleged white supremacists.
- She held herself accountable even though at age 19 she did not understand the ball’s history.
- Kemper is canceled by Black Twitter.
It might be too late to apologize, but the actress did it. As a teenager in the late 1990s, Ellie Kemper was crowned queen for a debutante ball that has alleged ties to white supremacy.
Kemper, then 19, was crowned at the Veiled Prophet Ball in her hometown in St. Louis.
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Founded in 1872 by former Confederate Gen. Charles Slayback, the Veiled Prophet Organization was established in response to major labor strikes and Black and white workers uniting, according to The Odyssey. The celebration was to promote white supremacy and beauty, and thus, organizers wanted to seize influence over the working class and minority communities.
It was reported by Page Six that “The Office” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” star had apologized for her past. Kemper says she did not know about the ball’s history.
“Hi guys – when I was 19 years old, I decided to participate in a debutante ball in my hometown. The century-old organization that hosted the debutante ball had an unquestionably racist, sexist, and elitist past,” she began her lengthy Instagram post.
Despite her claims of being unaware, she holds herself accountable at age 41, saying “ignorance is no excuse” and “I was old enough to have educated myself before getting involved.”
The Veiled Prophet is dressed in a white hooded attire that is reminiscent of a hooded KKK member, and the mysterious man, armed with a pistol and rifle, picks a woman to be the “queen of love and beauty” among the elite ball attendees. Historically the women were white but supporters note the ball has gotten more inclusive over time.
“I acknowledge that because of my race and my privilege, I am the beneficiary of a system that has dispensed unequal justice and unequal rewards,” Kemper said.
According to theGrio, Black Twitter has already decided to cancel her.
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