Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Ellie Kemper is facing a left-wing cancel mob for participating as a 19-year-old in an elite St. Louis social event that once excluded minorities.
Ellie Kemper, who supported Joe Biden’s bid for the White House and has backed Black Lives Matter, is being called a “KKK queen” and a “KKK princess” after a newspaper photo emerged showing her attending the Veiled Prophet ball in St. Louis. The photo is dated 1999, which is two decades after the annual event began accepting its first black participants.
The Emmy-nominated actress was crowned “Veiled Prophet Queen” that year — an honor typically bestowed upon a debutante from one of St. Louis’ most affluent families. (Kemper is the daughter of David Kemper, who served as executive chairman of Commerce Bank.)
The 1999 photo has set off a social media cancel mob against Ellie Kemper, with people accusing her of participating in a racist event and having affiliations with the KKK, even though the St. Louis ball has no known connections with the Klan.
A 2014 Atlantic magazine article delving into the history of the Veiled Prophet ball portrayed the annual event as a celebration of the city’s elite families and a ritual intended to fortify their social power. The event dates back to the 19th century and didn’t allow black participants until 1979. It also excluded Jewish people.
The annual fete centers on a chosen “veiled prophet” whose identity remains hidden and who presides over the festivities.
“The symbol of a mystical, benevolent figure whose identity is a mystery—only two Veiled Prophets have ever had their identity revealed—was meant to serve as a sort of empty shell that contained the accumulated privilege and power of the status quo,” the Atlantic said,
Ellie Kemper supported the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris campaign for the White House last year, while also backing Black Lives Matter.
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