Cassidy Klingman, 19, sophomore, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Schnecksville, Pa.

Klingman is the social media editor of The Paw Print, the college’s school newspaper.  

Alexi McCammond’s resignation is a missed opportunity to encourage growth and change. While McCammond’s past tweets are completely unacceptable, it is not right to allow things she said in 2011 to end her career, one which is focused on uplifting people. By apologizing for her words and actively addressing the harm that was caused, McCammond and Teen Vogue would promote the idea that change is possible.

I think it is important to note that she was 17 years old at the time of her posts. Of course, there is no excuse for racist behavior at any age, and her remarks should not be taken lightly. However, people can change in significant ways over 10 years, especially in their late teens and early twenties. The discovery of old tweets should not discredit who she is today.

It is impossible to say what the “correct” response is, but this situation could be viewed as an opportunity for growth. By taking responsibility for her actions and working to prove herself in the future, McCammond could show people that it is possible—and encouraged—to overcome the racism that might have been ignored in the past. Societal change is impossible without acknowledging the past and actively working toward a better and more inclusive future on an individual level.

McCammond addressed her tweets and apologized for her words. She says that she has “redoubled (her) commitment to growing in the years to come as both a person and as a professional.” McCammond became a journalist to “help lift up the stories and voices of our most vulnerable communities.” Her current and future actions should not be dismissed because of decade-old Twitter posts.

Once again, I do not intend to make light of the content of her tweets under any circumstances. Acknowledging that her remarks were unacceptable is a good place to start, but what comes next is equally important.  Collective change is not possible without individual growth. McCammond’s actions in the future would show that mistakes, even extremely harmful ones, do not need to define one’s character indefinitely.