Alabama Governor Kay Ivey apologizes for racist skit from college

Governor Kay Ivey has released a statement apologizing for her participation in a racist student skit from her senior year at Auburn University. Information about the governor's involvement in a skit involving blackface was found from a radio interview from Ivey's senior year at Auburn. The audio includes an interview with Ivey's fiance at the time, Ben LaRavia, who discusses her performance in blackface as president of her Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. LaRavia explains that Ivey, along with other members of the sorority chapter, wore blue coveralls with black paint all over their faces. He goes on to describe the skit as more physical than verbal acting, with the members involved having to crawl around on the floor looking for cigar butts. Governor Ivey says she does not recall the skit, interview, overalls, or being in blackface, but "will not deny the obvious". The radio interview surfaced along with a photo of Ivey's sorority sisters wearing blackface. Ivey, however, is not in the photo. The governor, who was also SGA Vice-President at Auburn, admits to being remorseful and offers a "heartfelt apology" for her actions 52 years ago. In a video released by the governor, Ivey says she feels, "deeply regrettable, and will do all [she] can going forward to show the nation that the Alabama of today is a far cry from the Alabama of the 1960s."


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