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Ex-Denver Postal Worker Goes on Bizarre Rant at Target While in Blackface: Video

Ex-Denver Postal Worker Goes on Bizarre Rant at Target While in Blackface: Video

Ersilia Campbell in blackface

She had people worried about her mental health, though many pointed out that mental illness doesn’t cause racism.

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A Colorado woman who once worked for the United States Postal Service was captured on video harassing customers in a Target store while wearing blackface on Wednesday. Before her bizarre display, she had been banned from USPS property.

“My mom and I dealt w[ith] this in a Target in Denver today,” a user named Logan wrote on X, formerly Twitter, with a photo and a 38-second-long video of a woman in blackface who is ranting at the camera. (Several reports say the store was in Aurora, a Denver suburb.)

“You’re literally doing blackface,” the person shooting the video says in disgust. “In the middle of the store.”

Standing on the other side of a shelving display near the cash registers, the woman replies, “Lester Holt did whiteface, and nobody said sh*t!”

For Halloween in 2009, as part of a tradition that NBC hosts dress up in costume on Today, Holt wore makeup and an outfit to look like Susan Boyle, the Scottish singer who rose to instant fame after a memorable audition on Britain’s Got Talent that year.

“Where’s your Pride section? I need to know!” the woman suddenly yells in the direction of a Target employee, who comments that Pride season has passed.

“Oh, I thought they were celebrating this, and they took our flag forever, no?” she quipped.

“Post it on my Facebook, please. My Facebook friends love it,” she says as she puts on a pair of sunglasses and struts to the exit, leaving customers and employees astonished at the display they had just witnessed.

“That’s the craziest thing I’ve seen in my whole life,” the person shooting the video says before the recording stops.

Online sleuths identified the woman as Ersilia Campbell, a former USPS employee. Her Facebook page showed several videos of her in blackface before it was locked down.

In one such video, she asserted that the racist move was a way to secure future employment.

“I need to fish out some other people, so I”m gonna go smoke them out today, but I thought I’d wear blackface so that when I’m done smoking them out, and the FBI or whoever the f*ck needs to show up and listen to me for once. When they show up, I want to get a job, so I’m gonna make sure I put on a blackface so I can have my best chance at getting a job.”

The Advocate contacted the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to inquire about the authenticity of a flyer that circulated online and was posted on a Denver postal building indicating Campbell was barred from setting foot on USPS property.

“The Postal Inspection Service may issue flyers such as these in our efforts to safeguard USPS employees and facilities,” a spokesperson said. “As the flyer states, this individual is a former employee, and outside that, USPS employment records are not public.”

Campbell went to a Starbucks wearing a shirt covered in pro-Trump stickers after she left Target and complained about losing her job at the Postal Service. Campbell was fired in February, according to TMZ.

At some point before the Facebook page was scrubbed, someone identified herself as Campbell’s daughter in a post.

“Hey everyone. This is the daughter,” the post read. “As you all have seen my mom is going through something I can’t even put in words. No her actions are not okay. We have gotten her the help she needs right now. Currently at this time the family does ask for time to be able to comprehend what is all going on.”

A spokesperson for the Aurora Police Department confirmed that the department had contact with Campbell on Wednesday.

“APD made contact with Ersilia Campbell yesterday and placed her into protective custody,” the spokesperson said.

The Advocate has made a public records request for further information.

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Christopher Wiggins

Christopher Wiggins is a senior national reporter for The Advocate. He has a rich career in storytelling and highlighting underrepresented voices. Growing up in a bilingual household in Germany, his German mother and U.S. Army father exposed him to diverse cultures early on, influencing his appreciation for varied perspectives and communication. His work in Washington, D.C., primarily covers the nexus of public policy, politics, law, and LGBTQ+ issues. Wiggins' reporting focuses on revealing lesser-known stories within the LGBTQ+ community. Key moments in his career include traveling with Vice President Kamala Harris and interviewing her in the West Wing about LGBTQ+ support. In addition to his national and political reporting, Wiggins represents The Advocate in the White House Press Pool and is a member of several professional journalistic organizations, including the White House Correspondents’ Association, Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, and Society of Professional Journalists. His involvement in these groups highlights his commitment to ethical journalism and excellence in the field. Follow him on X/Twitter @CWNewser (https://twitter.com/CWNewser) and Threads @CWNewserDC (https://www.threads.net/@cwnewserdc).
Christopher Wiggins is a senior national reporter for The Advocate. He has a rich career in storytelling and highlighting underrepresented voices. Growing up in a bilingual household in Germany, his German mother and U.S. Army father exposed him to diverse cultures early on, influencing his appreciation for varied perspectives and communication. His work in Washington, D.C., primarily covers the nexus of public policy, politics, law, and LGBTQ+ issues. Wiggins' reporting focuses on revealing lesser-known stories within the LGBTQ+ community. Key moments in his career include traveling with Vice President Kamala Harris and interviewing her in the West Wing about LGBTQ+ support. In addition to his national and political reporting, Wiggins represents The Advocate in the White House Press Pool and is a member of several professional journalistic organizations, including the White House Correspondents’ Association, Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, and Society of Professional Journalists. His involvement in these groups highlights his commitment to ethical journalism and excellence in the field. Follow him on X/Twitter @CWNewser (https://twitter.com/CWNewser) and Threads @CWNewserDC (https://www.threads.net/@cwnewserdc).