Ellie Kemper responds to news she was crowned 'Veiled Prophet Queen'

JUNE 6 UPDATE: Ellie Kemper responds 

Ellie Kemper has responded to newspaper clippings that resurfaced last week announcing she was crowned Veiled Prophet Queen at a centuries-old debutante pageant in 1999 at the age of 19.

The "Veiled Prophet Ball" was founded by “wealthy white elites” in 1877 in order to emphasize “the existing power structure" and depictions of the prophet depict a costume suspiciously similar to a KKK hood. 

"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 wrote in an Instagram post. "I was not aware of this history at the time, but ignorance is no excuse."

"I unequivocally deplore, denounce, and reject white supremacy," she continued. "At the same 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."

She went on to say that she was initially tempted to ignore the news and criticism, but later realized "a lot of the forces behind the criticism are the forces I've spent my whole life supporting and agreeing with." Kemper added that she believes in "kindness, integrity, and inclusiveness," and she can interpret this "experience" in a "positive light" if it serves as "an indication that organizations and institutions with pasts that fall short of these beliefs should be held to account." 

"I want to apologize to the people I've disappointed, and I promise that moving forward I will listen, continue to educate myself, and use my privilege in support of the better society I think we're capable of becoming," she finished. 

ORIGINAL STORY:

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and The Office star Ellie Kemper has never really been gossip fodder, but last night her name started trending on Twitter, and not because she has another comedy coming out where she plays a quirky millennial.

Fans unearthed a 2014 article from The Atlantic about a centuries-old pageant that was founded by “wealthy white elites” in 1877 in order to emphasize “the existing power structure.” It was called The Veiled Prophet Ball (depictions of the prophet have a "veil" which looks strikingly similar to a KKK hood) and the secret society has a history of racism that didn’t allow Black members until 1979.

Ellie Kemper won the pageant in 1999 when she was 19 (after the event's name was changed to the Fair Saint Louis in 1992).

The Atlantic article goes on to say that the winner of the pageant ball was dubbed the Queen of Love and Beauty, but stops short of naming Kemper. It was the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who revealed the Kemper connection – newspaper archives from 1999 display photographs of Kemper at the ball and explicitly name her as the “Veiled Prophet Queen.” That “veiled” moniker just doesn't sit well.

Especially not with Twitter. Tweet after tweet expresses a mix of outrage and shock with some even using terms like “KKK Princess” or “KKK Queen.” (For clarity, this society is not known to be affiliated with the KKK, but it does bear a striking resemblance in its white supremacist doctrine.)

Some are finding allegories between her TV work and this aspect of her life.

Others are waiting for her to address it, hoping she's grown to understand the harm in her involvement with the organization.

But there are some users who are quite astutely reminding others that white supremacy is ingrained in all American societies and still flourishes to this day, so we shouldn’t be “surprised” at all.

This is also a sombre reminder of the way the news cycle treats white celebrities differently from celebrities of colour. As one user pointed out, yesterday Tennis champion Naomi Osaka was critized by many when she announced she was withdrawing from the French Open, citing mental health concerns and disagreement with the tournament's requirements for all athletes to participate in press conferences. 

Figures in the media and online have told her to just deal with it or “suck it up.” Compare that response with the pundits (*coughBenShapirocough*) who are already trying to downplay Kemper's involvement in the pageant and thereby denying the very real effects of racism ingrained in these secret whites-only societies and the privileges of benefitting from them. 

At press time, Ellie Kemper has yet to comment on the situation.

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