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Former "The Office" star Ellie Kemper recently found herself on the Twitter trending page for all the wrong reasons after her past as the "Veiled Prophet Queen 1999" came under intense scrutiny online.
Fans of the 41-year old actress, best known for playing the role of receptionist Erin Hannon in NBC's The Office, were recently taken aback upon clicking her name in the trending tab. They were made to face the unexpected reality of her participating in an alleged "racist pageant" during her younger days.
Ellie Kemper grew up in St. Louis, where the Veiled Prophet Organization has organized an annual debutante ball since 1878.
The actress took home the title of "Veiled Prophet Queen of Love and Beauty" in 1999, a feat that seems to have become a notorious blip on her career if recent reactions are anything to go by.
The recent furor over Ellie Kemper's title is because the organization has been heavily criticized for its alleged links to the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and being classist due to its association with wealthy and local elites.
What is the Veiled Prophet Ball? Ellie Kemper trends online after actress' past comes under intense scrutiny online
Back in 2014, an article by The Atlantic had delved deep into the murky origins of the Veiled Prophet Organization.
Initially organized as a means to replicate the aura of festivity associated with the celebration of Mardi Gras, brothers Charles and Alonzo Slayback created a mythology for the foundation of a secret elite society called the Veiled Prophet Organization.
They borrowed the name "The Veiled Prophet of Khorassan" from Irish Poet Thomas Moore's oriental romance "Lalla Rookh" and primarily aimed to boost trade and establish "class control" via their initiative.
The Veiled Prophet activities were also deemed a response to the growing labor unrest in the city, involving cooperation between white and black workers.
The organization is allegedly tinged with a racist undertone, as black members were not allowed to join until 1979, more than a hundred years after its inception.
The first Veiled Prophet's appearance, as described in the Atlantic article, highlighted an ominous presence that bore a stark resemblance to a Klansman:
"In fact, to underline the message of class and race hegemony, the image of the first Veiled Prophet is armed with a shotgun and pistol and is strikingly similar in appearance to a Klansman."
Keeping in mind the socio-political connotations of that time and the rampant racial divide, scores of Twitter users recently took to the platform to express a myriad of emotions with regards to Ellie Kemper being crowned a former "Veiled Prophet Queen."
As reactions continue to come in thick and fast, it remains to be seen if Ellie Kemper will issue a public statement in response to the unexpected allegations against her.
