Ellie Kemper found herself in the news earlier this week when a strange and rather questionable moment in her past came to light.
It turns out that when the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was a teenager, she attended a debutante ball called the Veiled Prophet Ball in her native Missouri. The competition-like affair was organized by a group known as the Veiled Prophet Organization, and – according to resurfaced photos – Kemper was crowned “Queen of Love and Beauty” at the event. .
While the St. Louis-based organization has since changed its name to Fair Saint Louis, it was founded in the late 1800s by Charles Slayback, a former Confederation Soldier, and a number of other white men. . One of his rules for the ball? Only whites were allowed to participate. Until 1979.
Kemper used his personal social media to respond to the backlash his participation in the prom aroused. “Hi guys,” she wrote to her followers. “When I was 19, I decided to attend a debutante’s ball in my hometown. The century-old organization that hosted the debutante’s unquestionably had a racist, sexist and elitist background. running from this story to the time, but ignorance is no excuse.I was old enough to be educated before I joined.
“I unequivocally deplore, denounce and reject white supremacy,” the actor continued. “At the same time, I recognize that because of my race and my privilege, I am the beneficiary of a system that has delivered unequal justice and unequal rewards … I want to apologize to the people I disappointed, and I promise that in the future I will listen, continue to educate myself and use my privilege to support the better society that I think we are capable of becoming. ”
Kemper’s outspoken post drew supportive comments from many former co-stars and famous friends, from Mindy Kaling and Angela Kinsey to Wendy McLendon-Covey and Katie Couric.
Read the actress’ full apology below.
