Ersilia Campbell, a former postal worker from Colorado, was recently caught on camera in a series of disturbing incidents. She was seen entering a Target store in Aurora, her face covered in dark makeup, a practice commonly referred to as blackface, which is widely considered offensive and racist. The video, which was obtained by TMZ, shows Campbell making controversial comments about “whiteface” and politics.
Campbell was heard making a reference to NBC journalist Lester Holt, who is black, and his past impersonation of British singer Susan Boyle on the “Today” show over a decade ago. She seemed to be arguing that Holt’s impersonation was equivalent to her own use of blackface.
In addition to her comments about Holt, Campbell also demanded to see the store’s Pride section. When employees informed her that Pride Month had ended in June, she expressed frustration and made a sarcastic comment about the Pride flag.
The former postal worker’s unsettling behavior didn’t end at Target. Later that day, she posted a selfie video from a local Starbucks. Still in blackface, she wore a shirt adorned with Donald Trump campaign stickers and made a series of inappropriate comments.
Campbell was let go from her position as an operations supervisor at the United States Postal Service earlier this year, according to TMZ. In her Starbucks video, she claimed she was on her way to apply for a job at the post office, joking that they wouldn’t recognize her due to her blackface.
The USPS has since issued a bulletin to its current employees, identifying Campbell as a trespasser and instructing them to alert the Postal Inspection Service if she returns. Campbell has previously made derogatory comments about her former USPS colleagues, calling them “some of the loneliest, miserable, trashiest, lazy people in my life.”