“The Office” and “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” Ellie Kemper star was outed after images surfaced of her participating in a historically racist and white supremacist debutante ball.
Over the weekend, photos of Kemper, 41, began circulating online, showing the actress being crowned the “Prophet Queen of Love and Beauty” at the Veiled Prophet Ball. The Veiled Prophet Ball is an annual event put together by the historically racist Veiled Prophecy Organization, which well-known, wealthy white families founded in 1879. The VPO is known for its connections to white supremacy and racism in St. Louis, Missouri, Yahoo! Entertainment reports.
The Atlantic published an article in 2014 that said the Veiled Prophet Organization emphasized the existing power structure” in the area, and was created in response to “growing labor unrest” between races in the city. In addition, the VPO parade often portrayed offensive racial stereotypes of people of color and banned Black members from the organization for more than a decade. Black people weren’t allowed to join until 1979.
Kemper participated in the Veiled Prophet Ball, which allows members of the group’s daughters to compete to be crowned queen by a “Veiled Prophet.” A Veiled Prophet is a secret member of the organization who wears white robes and a white veil covering his face, USA Today reports.
“Each year, approximately sixty to seventy young women are chosen for their outstanding community service efforts and walk down the magnificent 72-foot-long Veiled Prophet runway in fashionable couture gowns, and in front of family and friends, are presented and honored for their contributions,” reads an event description from the Veiled Prophet organization’s website.
Kemper’s father, David Kemper, is a prominent bank executive. Kemper was crowned Queen of Love and Beauty” in 1999 when she was a freshman at Princeton University.
The organization released a statement in response to the backlash. “Our organization believes in and promotes inclusion, diversity, and equality for this region,” the statement read. “We absolutely reject racism and have never partnered or associated with any organization that harbors these beliefs.” Kemper has yet to respond.
