“I am learning and will continue to learn how to be an anti-racist.”
Great week for people The Bachelor apologize, huh?
Let’s try to extract these as easily as possible: so it turns out that flow Bachelor education attendee Rachael Kirkconnell attended an Antebellum themed party – and then former bachelorette Rachel Lindsay asked Bachelor education host Chris Harrison about it AdditionalHarrison almost blew it.
Yesterday he apologized.
Now it’s Kirkconnell’s turn.
“I’m here to say I was wrong,” Kirkconnell said in her statement after acknowledging “truths that have come to light that I need to address.”
“At one point I didn’t recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that’s no excuse for them,” she said.
“My age or when it happened, nothing apologizes. They are in no way ok or acceptable. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist.”
Shortly after Kirkconnell’s apology was posted, several of this season’s contestants came from The Bachelor who identify as BIPOC, made a statement to social media on behalf of “Twenty-five women who identify as BIPOC [who] were released on this historic season that was meant to represent change. “
“We are deeply disappointed and want to make it clear that we denounce any defense of racism,” the statement said. “Any defense of racist behavior denies the lived and ongoing experiences of BIPOC individuals. These experiences should not be exploited or tokenized.”
“Rachel Lindsay continues to advocate with ‘grace’ for individuals who identify as BIPOC within this franchise,” the statement continued, seemingly referring to Lindsay’s interview with Harrison. “Just because she speaks the loudest doesn’t mean she’s alone.”
“We stand next to her, we hear her, and we advocate for change next to her.”
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