Ellie Kemper, best known for her role on The Office, was only 19 years old (1999) when she participated in a debutante ball with KKK undertones and history. Kemper notes that she did not know about this history of the ball when she participated; however, she should apologize nonetheless. And she did.
You cannot be crowned the “Queen of Love and Beauty” by a group of people who hate blacks and Jews without repercussion. Actions do have consequences. It’s just all about how you handle them.
Her handling of this situation should have included a straightforward apology for her actions when she was young. All she needs to say is that she’s sorry and knows that what she did at 19 was wrong and that she did not know at the time—end of the story.
In my opinion, you can’t say that this is bowing to the mob. It’s not. It’s completely different. She did something truly wrong; she was just too young to know it. She must acknowledge it now and take it at face value. Nothing more, nothing less. Saying that this is excusable leads to actual racism and actual anti-Semitism.
Racism in any form is never okay. We must acknowledge that times have changed and that we learn as we grow. The bigger lesson is forgiveness and not canceling people for their past.
Take a look at Ellie Kemper’s apology below and tell me in the comments if you think.
