“Single” contestant Rachael Kirkconnell broke her silence after the reaction against her – and the show itself – amid accusations that she allegedly engaged in racially insensitive social media posts and was photographed at a plantation-themed party while she was in college.
“Although rumors are circulating, there are also truths that have surfaced and that I need to address. I heard you and I’m here to say I was wrong, ”she wrote via Instagram on Thursday. “At one point, I didn’t recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn’t excuse them. My age or when it happened does not excuse anything. They are not acceptable or correct in any sense. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist ”.
Kirkconnell, 24, continued: “I am sorry to communities and individuals that my actions have harmed and offended. I’m ashamed of my lack of education, but it’s not anyone’s responsibility to educate me. I am learning and will continue to learn to be anti-racist, because it is important to speak in the moment and not after being called. If you are a person who does not understand the offense in question, I urge you to learn from my mistakes and encourage you to use them as a learning moment. “
Kirkconnell also noted how her family encouraged her to “have my own views, opinions and beliefs”.
“While thinking about what I wanted to say, I couldn’t help thinking about how sick people must be to read that kind of statement; how a person did not realize the trauma that his actions would inflict on other people. It must be very tiring. I want to put my energy into preventing people from making the same offensive mistakes that I made in the first place, and I hope I can prove it to you in the future, ”said Kirkconnell.
“Racial progress and unity are impossible without responsibility (from whites) and I deserve to be held responsible for my actions. I will never grow up unless I recognize that what I did is wrong, ”she concluded. “I don’t think an apology means that I deserve your forgiveness, but I hope I can earn your forgiveness through my future actions.”
Bachelor presenter Chris Harrison, 49, was also criticized this week for saying that fans should offer Kirkconnell “a little grace, a little understanding” in an interview with “Extra” co-host Rachel Lindsay – the first black “Bachelorette” franchise history – and later apologized.
Kirkconnell, who is vying for the affection of James, the first black “bachelor”, is reportedly one of the pioneers this season.