Woman apologizes for making racist gestures outside Ole Miss students apartment
One of the two young women seen on a viral video making racist gestures outside the apartment of three Black Ole Miss students apologized for her actions.Alaina Kunes, 18, said in a statement Tuesday that she did not know the people who lived in the apartment and was “unaware of their race” until the Ring doorbell camera video that captured the moment Friday gained national attention.The video shows Kunes and two other women walking by the front door of the off-campus apartment where the three Black Ole Miss students live.Kunes is seen beating her chest.
She and a second women, who has not been identified and has not commented on the incident, make ape noises.A third woman in the video just walks by without stopping at the door.
“To the women I offended and to the Ole Miss community, I sincerely apologize,” Kunes said in her statement.“I recognize my actions were insensitive, inappropriate, and deeply harmful.”Kunes said she apologized to the women who live in the apartment directly.
“I pray they will forgive me,” she said.“I can never truly understand the pain I have caused them and it was never my intention.These girls deserve to feel seen and understood and what I did is not a reflection of who I am trying to become,” Kunes said.The University of Mississippi launched an investigation into the incident, Shawnboda Mead, the school’s vice chancellor for student affairs, said in an email sent to the campus Sunday.In it, Mead described the viral video as “showing University of Mississippi students engaging in racist gestures directed toward other students.”Kunes has since withdrawn from the university, a source close to the 18-year-old told NBC News.
It’s unclear what the enrollment status is of the other women in the video.The University of Mississippi did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.For SubscribersFOR SUBSCRIBERSRon DeSantis makes his first move toward a possible presidential runFOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s D...