This article reveals the thin veneer of racial politeness so familiar from post-civil rights life in small towns I know, where, despite much progress, racial "etiquette" was and largely still is carefully prescribed.
Most posts I read offer support for the governor, asserting he's equipped to lead the state forward. I question what anyone sees to justify that. He's not a private citizen who must dig deeper to correct private behavior; he's the executive of a state with a proud but painful past. Since the yearbook picture was (re) revealed, Mr. Northam has: 1) instantly taken ownership, 2) instantly disowned ownership, 3) revealed a similar episode in his past, even appearing to agree to demonstrate the moonwalk, 4) broadly referred to enslaved persons as "indentured servants from Africa". 5) Hasn't addressed the history of his teen nickname. 6) With no plans except "listening", asserted he's equipped to lead the state's healing because he's a physician. (Flip and trite.) Some of these wobbles were made even after he hired crisis managers.
Why is so little expected of the top official, who, btw, was not a "youth" when graduating from medical school? To his current role, he should have brought more decency, better instincts for crisis management, more discernment and personal strength.
The question of succession is a mess; that doesn't mean the present governor should remain.
1
I am a white, female Democrat. Upon learning of Governor Northam’s yearbook page, I immediately contacted my representatives in the Virginia legislature to push for his resignation. I did it with with great regret. My reasons were complicated.
I did not do what I did because Ralph Northam is an “idiot” or a racist governor. As an advocate to the legislature for social justice causes, I see him as a friend to Virginia’s minorities, the poor, and other vulnerable residents. Our executive leadership has been important to social progress (e.g. hard won expanded Medicaid). It pains me to think of giving up the Democratic executive and signatory power. And it appears from the level of support they are giving, it pains African Americans even more.
My issue is the “idiot” slur regarding the governor’s statement on indentured servitude of Africans in Virginia. He said he learned about it from a historian, which I can believe. He seemed surprised. I recalled hearing the same from a reputable source, and I, too, was surprised; so, I did research — beyond Wikipedia (contacted an expert). Wikipedia does offer accessible,detailed explanation in “The History of Slavery in Virginia” for anyone interested in learning rather than name calling. It acknowledges unequal treatment and rights for African indentured servants. The nomenclature reflects the evolution of colonial law. The governor is not an idiot, and nor is he denying slavery in Virginia.
William F. Buckley, Jr. once said he’d rather be governed by the first 2,000 people in the Boston telephone directory than by the faculty of Harvard University.
Virginia Democrats should be trying Richmond’s telephone directory.
1
Most people understand that even if people make nice publicly, they are fully capable of slinging racial slurs and jokes among their own, whether in their homes or the locker room. Conservative doublespeak and racialized discourse are seeping into the public sphere, courtesy of the incumbent and his emboldened admirers.
Northam’s poker-faced evasiveness is problematic. No Virginian is that out of touch with American history. John Smith’s Jamestown and Nat Turner’s Southampton are only two hours away from Onanconk. Northam’s earliest American ancestors no doubt knew of Turner.
A racial slur is a far cry from wearing blackface and posing in KKK robes. What if an image of an actual lynching had accompanied the other photos?
America mostly tolerates black athletes and entertainers. Black professionals, however, confront skepticism and condescension. The moonwalk is acceptable; blackface is not.
Intelligent human beings are projects who embrace introspection, reality testing, correction, and are capable of envisioning a different future for themselves and others. Some things you just know are wrong. Deep down, some of the old Northam remains. Expediency is not conversion.
Black Americans may not be interested in giving Northam the benefit of the doubt, given the history of this nation.
Obama understood Biden’s heart was in the right place, and no one I know considers “gyp” a slur. I will not share with you examples of real slurs. We all know.
1
I grew up here and it's such a strange feeling to see Northam, go through this. I guess the best way to describe it, is an expected surprise. Expected, that a white man from the Eastern shore could have a blind spot to race, and surprised that this same person has done so much good and genuinely seems to be a good person. It's important to add context in this situation, forget the time period, but think of the age Northam would have been when this happened. Even if he was uncomfortable and not racist just being a college kid you are especially susceptible to do things that don't align with how you were raised, and do things that are out of your character. I would love to see Northam finish out his term and use his political influence to help the Eastern shore in general, it's hard for me to go home and see the lack of progress.
1
I went to medical school with Ralph, so I am impressed with the career he has had. The amount of work that goes into a medical career is huge, most people have no idea what a doctor goes through.
Altho the main structures of racism in Virginia have been dismantled, there remains subtle pervasive and wrongful elements. I don't know if the roots of racism, the metastatic cancers, can ever really be excised fully. They are tenacious.
But it's a human thing, to try. It's important to try and try very hard sometimes.
So I say, Virginia needs Ralph. Not for the awkward things he has said recently, but for the conversations and thinking his gaffes have started. I don't think Ralph Northam is part of the malignancy, surely he must go if he is.
Lets all just take a long, sober look at this whole thing, and process, integrate, metabolize, synthesize. Then lets see where we really are.
4
What a great opportunity for Northam to seize on something very specific to show that he is focused on the problem of race relations: champion the removal the confoderate monuments in Richmond, as suggested recently by James Comey in his Op-Ed to the Post.
2
Too many people are too quick to call for dire consequences for all sorts of real or perceived transgressions. Please consider the degree of harm as well as the history of the person. A minor incident (and all incidences are NOT equal) especially in a context where behaviors are (unfortunately) tolerated. Stop and think on a case by case basis before rushing to judgement. Media, social and otherwise, seem to promote this.
3
Governor Northam’s response to the picture that mysteriously found its way to his medical school yearbook was offense and downright insulting. I could never support him.
However, I am beginning to fear something far worse. We have begun to adopt a practice that would nullify election results by cries for resignation or impeachment. Moreover, we seem to do so impulsively without much effort to truly ascertain the facts nor allow any cooling off period. When an accusation pushes certain buttons, we devolve into a mob yelling “off with his head!”.
Our constituion provides a system for removing politicians when no crime is associated with their office. It is called “elections”, when we are free to terminate any office holder who betrays our confidence. When we get into the habit of demanding resignation or removal for an objectionable act, we start downn the slippery slope of election nullification. I cite Al Franken as a primary exhibit. He was duly elected and his fate should have been decided by voters in the next election. But the same rule would apply to all sides, even President Trump. Vote him out if necessary unless he has clearly committed crimes. Otherwise do what our founders set up for us - elect someone else.
I am very concerned that the growing practice of election nullification wil place us in a postion no different than third world countries, where elected officials are routinely overthrown, because the people are just not used to waiting for the next election.
2
Jay Edwards
Walden Colorado
I'm a musician of sorts. In the US, African American music is 'King.' I'm 74 years old and my musical focus is still on the 'King' of music. Even though I follow the culture I missed the blackface/Jim Crow connection 'til later in life. I know about it now, but so when I saw a couple kids I knew who loved black music perform in blackface I thought they were being respectful via the 'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery' idea.
Mezz Mezzrrow's book 'Really the Blues,' one of the great jazz books, climaxes when he, a Jewish musician trying to play as a 'black' as possible, is officially declared 'Black' when serving time at Rikers Island. There are those of us who would like the same.
Of course, I don't know about all this political stuff........
1
I am sure the governor is a good man, a caring and competent doctor. He needs to lead the discussion in Virginia about their racist past and point to a future of understanding our behaviors so all of us will learn to respect and value each other as humans and not by color or ethnicity. Only honest open discussions will ease the pain of our history.
Mainly governor, the Africans that came to your shores 400 years ago were not indentured servants as you said yesterday. Start here...they were slaves.
3
if we were all held to a terminal account for the sins of our youth, there would be no man left standing, save the timid.
7
the comment "I don't see color" is a comment uttered by those not wanting to openly and frankly discuss race. One cannot help but see color - it is the eyes and brain at work. it is who we are about what we see that makes all the difference in the world.
1
I'm very proud to have been growing up in the 60's and 70's. They were truly years of greater awareness on many issues such as not believing everything the government tells you, (Vietnam) to the civil rights struggle.
I was a big fan of Dr. Martin Luther King, reciting "I have a Dream" for my final in speech class.
I always considered myself non-racist. I don't like associating with people using the 'N' word.
However, I never would have known that putting on 'black face' was so racially insensitive.
Why??
Because it was never discussed it!!!
Growing up you learn the obvious things that hurt people's feelings, such as the 'N' word.
However, no one ever taught us that 'black face' was so hurtful.
Does that mean I'm "racially insensitive"??
Or could it mean that maybe instead of instant condemnation there should be more open discussions to allow more opportunities for education on these issues?
Since when did a person's apology and forgiveness become out of fashion??
Should every person have to resign for something on this level done 30 years ago?
It's not like there's a picture of him marching with the KKK 30 years ago. Here's a person that grew up with African American friends and without any other news of instances that would be deemed 'racially insensitive'.
There's got to be some better punishment that meets this crime.
8
Racism started at the onset of the creation of America when Black people were brought from Africa and made slaves. The most wise constitutional framers did not consider these Black people as sanctioned beings.....rather considered them as property. That's roughly 240 years ago. On Jan. 31, 1865, the House of Representatives passed a constitutional amendment to abolish slavery. Yet up until the 1950's and 1960's were minorities in America, specially Blacks.....really free?
We don't call White Americans of Germanic extraction "German-Americans". We don't call White Americans of Irish extraction "Irish-Americans". We don't call White Americans of French extraction "French-Americans". We simply refer to them as Americans. So why call Americans of African extraction "African-Americans"? Why call Americans of Hispanic or Latin extraction "Mexican-Americans" or Latinos"? Why call Americans of Asian extraction "Asian Americans"? These distinctions are made on the basis of skin color. When White Americans can see beyond the color of an individual’s skin....that day will truly be America the free...but not until then.
4
One slight correction. The first slaves were brought to this continent (ironically, Virginia) in 1619, 400 years ago.
There is a difference between 'Al Golson Black Face' and 'Brown Face'. Brown face is what Billy Crystal and Fred Armstead put forth in their portrayals of Blacks like Mohammed Ali, Sammy Davis, Jr., Barak Obama etc. As a Black individual, I laughed and was not offended.
Mr. Northam 1980's behavior, assuming he had control over that page within the publication of the yearbook is being judged based upon 2019 sensibilities. That is surely not fair, but he seems to have earned the right to keep his duly elected position as governor.
I would contrast Northam's attempts at broaching a long overdue discussion about race versus DJT's statements related to torch carrying White Supremist march which resulted in the death of a young lady in Charlotte, N.C. DJT claimed there good people on both sides. really? A misguided racial creed which is based upon the need for one group to feel superior to another, which burns crosses and has a history of lynching people of color, gays, Jewish people, etc., has good people? I cannot accept DJT's behavior but let's cut Northam some slack.
7
So much pontificating. Everyone old enough surely has said or done something regretful, stupid and offensive 35 years ago in their past. Why do you need to waste time and money with a government ethics review for a stupid and immature act 35 years ago? He didn't embezzle money from anyone, cheat on his wife, or commit any other crime. There is no evidence of any racist behavior since then, or any racist act in his official capacity. On the contrary. He seems to have done good works for the people of Virginia, starting with expanding Medicaid.
Furthermore, and more importantly, according to a Washington Post poll, 57% of African-Americans in the state, those who were actually aggrieved, believe that he should NOT resign. Interestingly, this little factoid is being overlooked by the media, which is more interested in fomenting controversy that generates ratings.
5
Black face is not illegal. Period. I don't understand how the Dem (or any party) believes they are the moral compass for the nation. We the citizens have freedoms; many of those were not available to blacks before the 60s. One cannot change the thoughts within another's head. That goes for all colors, races, ethnicities, genders, etc. across the planet. One cannot 'know' the thoughts in another's head.
Yet the Dems believe both - control the thoughts, not just that, control the actions and words. Fire those that they decide are not 'moral' and promote those that they decide are 'moral.' I'm so sick of this arrogance I could scream! Leave Northam alone, not because he is white, not because it's okay to dress in KKK, black face, etc., but because taken out of context, there is none among us who is innocent. Not white, not black. And we cannot be held to some 21st standard for something that happened a long time ago without violence or inciting violence. It's a costume, get over it!!!
I feel that Dems want to take our freedom away, control our words and thoughts and lives. They are the new Ayatollah.
2
My Gawd.
I can't change history.
I can only change the way I feel about it...now
I can't change what a person might have done 30 years ago.
I can only go by what a person is doing today.
As a black person, how often have we ask for forgiveness of ourselves or a relative who has done something that got them imprisoned?
Yes, I know, many blacks have been wrongfully jailed and they can no longer get those years back.
Thirty years ago, a man might or might not have taken a picture that ended up in a yearbook and he was in blackface.
Or he might have been in a KKK outfit.
OK, and yes, there are stupid white folks also.
But what has that person done in the immediate past 25 years?
The thing people can do is have a publically open chat with this governor.
Bring cameras along if one pleases.
But please, stop throwing stones.
There's a person in the White House who is so, so much worse than a 30- year- old blackface picture could ever be.
This is a distraction we don't need right now.
Trump is eating this up.
Heck, it might have been one of his sycophants who brought it into public view.
And now the attention is on 'it' as opposed to him?
THINK PEOPLE!!
FOCUS!!
4
Dr. Northam was our family pediatrician for many years and helped treat my son's scoliosis. I will aways be grateful to the great compassion and care that Dr. Northam showed our family.
I think we are afraid to discuss race in America. Let's start now.
54
@Bob Lakeman I made a memorable indiscretion one day. I was walking down the stairs at a local college and a black student, perhaps age 20, was bringing in some packages.
Thinking I was making a friendly, opening statement, I said: Hi, are you the delivery boy? Wham. He was so angry with me.
There can be no ill intent where none is intended.
But the young man perceived ill intent in my
ill chosen greeting.
9
@James
If you were in a group that has been marginalized, demeaned, and discriminated against, you would recognize how wrong your action was.
In the first place a 20 year old is a young man, not a boy. “Boy” is a term that we’ve know for decades is used to demean black men.
In the second place, your neighbor (like other persons of color and women) has had a lifetime of microaggressions aimed at letting him know he is a second class citizen. He recognized and reacted to your incivility. You would not have said the same thing to a white man.
3
@James
Your comment to the black student is what's known as a "microragression," an example of what African Americans must swallow many times every day.
2
It is hard to fully capture the "otherness" of the Eastern Shore of Virginia. I lived there for a brief time in 1975, when Northam would have been in high school (I think). At a time that black pride and empowerment were sweeping the country, the Eastern Shore was the place that time forgot. Older black people would still step off the sidewalk, into the street, in "deference" to white passers-by. It made me, a white person, very uncomfortable. The Shore was somewhat like a feudal society of old -- some well-to-do people, all white, and this would have included the Northams, and many, many more people (white and black) surviving at barely above subsistence level.
This doesn't excuse Northam, but helps explain, to me at least, his puzzling naivete about racial insensitivity.
75
We MUST examine even the Kindergarten childhood drawings of all politicians to exclude those who claim to have changed!!
[That is a joke just in case a bunch of racist WHITES choose to take it in a different manner in order to show... their "support" for only "decent" Americans -- you know the kind that never make any mistakes and learn and grow.]
5
How sweet.
Little Ralphie played with the Black kids when he was young.
Then he grew up to wear Black face and Klan robes.
Such a moving Democrat story.
4
@Ken
“Democrat” is a noun; “Democratic” is an adjective.
Do you find it just a little odd that recent polls show that, while 50% of white Republicans believe there is nothing wrong with “blackface”, a far higher percentage of them want Gov. Northam to resign than do black constituents?
6
@Anonymous
Actually, 50% of Republicans saw nothing wrong with Democrats wearing Black face, if they’re into that kind of thing.
Just helps the electoral process along.
Imagine where and who and what Ralph Northam would be if he were born naturally Ben Carson and Barack Obama " blackface" in America?
Donald Trump? Ted Cruz? Mike Pence? Marco Rubio? Mitch McConnell? Sean Hannity? Laura Ingraham? Ann Coulter? George W. Bush?
2
The name of his hometown made me chuckle. I know that it is probably claimed to have come from some Indian word but I have a feeling it might have come from some lonely guy expressing his lack of sex (look up onanism)
@Steve It is not pronounced how it is spelled. Its Native America for "Foggy Place"
2
"indentured servants" Idiot! Sure he's not Republican. It's called Slavery--Hello--no euphemisms necessary. We know what it was
2
@That's what she said
You are wrong. It is well documented on the internet (start with Wikipedia; that’s easy) that indentured servitude preceded slavery in VA by several decades. He was correct in the context of his statement.
Virginians like me are getting very tired of people who do not know the players, their public records, etc., directing bold but uninformed insults at Northam and others.
2
The man mistakenly referred to slaves as "indentured servants" on national television - as if he couldn't bring himself to call them what they really were. It was the kind of parsing and dodging that has become all too common in our current national dialogue.
I grew up in the South - the same as Mr. Northam. And we all knew that blackface was not acceptable - and *especially* not while standing next to someone in a Klan costume. Therefore, I find this puff piece apologia for Ralph Northam kind of nauseating - because the New York Times is providing cover for someone who absolutely knew better.
He knew then and he knows now the terrible optics of his closeted/now apparently acceptable racism. It's racist. There's no getting out of it. He knew better. And he's getting the red carpet treatment by the NYT.
3
@BothSides
As I said in my comment to another poster above, you are factually incorrect. Look up the history of indentured servitude and slavery in Virginia.
3
I honestly believe that he is not a racist. He actually may understand more black people. If his family was racist why they were opted to send their children to mixed schools. Maybe now is his moment to show this even more. Why democrats are the worst enemies of democrats. Time to learn about standing up like the REPUgnant. Give him chance to prove that he is not a racist, you Virginians elected him, and it was you due diligence to check your candidates. Suck it up.
5
Virginians elected him and need to sucked it up. The same way we finish with an idiot in the WH. He may prove to be smarter and better than the moron in the WH.
1
Ralph Northam's insensitive picture should be viewed as a venal sin, not a mortal one. Indeed, does indiscretion even reach into either realm? Based on his life trajectory, he is a fine man dedicated to care and decency. If he has felt the need to mKe up for youthful high jinks, I would absolve him. If he was tormented by fear of being discovered as a closet racist, I would say he has paid his dues thru personal torment.
But consider taking this need for personal purity to it illogical, but not unrealistic, ends. Do high school and college boys need to scrub their senior annuals for photos of themselves dressed up as girls? Remember when it was funny for the football teams to come to a pep rally in grass skirts and massive fake boobs?
What about white actors playing the part of Dr. Fu Man Chu? Or, others acting as savage Indians?
The governor's exploiter was not some sorely aggrieved victim of racism, his motive unblemished. No, just some snarky political enemy going for a man's jugular, performing a hit job.
6
The observation that, “Until white people have a chance to talk about how they have been conditioned, it’ll sneak up on them,” struck a chord. My first job out of college in the late 1960s was at a shipyard in the south shore of Boston. I was a very low level admin assistant among several others. One was black. I didn't know him but I watched one day as he walked up the gangway in his short sleeved white shirt and tie and speculated to myself how I would feel if he got promoted ahead of me. I had no future or interest at the the yard. It was just an experiment.
To my surprise and chagrin, I realized I would be embarrassed. I grew up in a home that actively supported civil rights (my mother rode the buses when school desegregation was mandated in Boston and the only deed my dad regaled us with from his WWII days was punching out a white guy for abusing a black ship mate).
So I fully attest to the article's comment on talking about conditioning and how it all can sneak up on us. I would only add that the "talking" can be a quiet conversation with yourself.
158
@Chuck Adams When black employees began to be
promoted to supervisor positions in the Orange County office I worked in I was happy, thankful....yes.
Tragic things happened in our society. The challenge
is always in the right now. Terrific things do happen.
American religious traditions, great awakenings - really, have called us to have a strong sense of self - being peaceful, compassionate, empathetic, loving justice, mercy, kindness, humility.
2
@Chuck Adams
Who is "us" and "we" and "our"?
Who didn't notice that despite his half-white biological nature and all white cultural nurture that Barack Hussein Obama was not wearing Northam blackface nor Trump orange face?
Africans were enslaved by you people sneaking up on them and snatching and stealing them to the Americas as enslaved property and separate and unequal to any white European Judeo-Christian American.
Have you ever wondered why there is no black African American historical tradition of white faced minstrelsy?
Have you ever wondered where you would be if you had been born Ben Carson or Barack Obama brown face?
1
@Blackmamba
What do you mean when you say 'you people'? None of us alive today stole people in order to enslave them. No one should be judged by the sins of their ancestors.
1
Let the people of Virginia vote Northampton out if they want. For this behavior is not a high crime or misdemeanor.
6
Your questions (How he could have thought it a good idea to darken his face with shoe polish to moonwalk like Michael Jackson in a contest in the early 1980s. How he could have been unaware of the deep and resonant pain associated with blackface among the African-Americans he represents, until a staffer told him about it during his most recent campaign.) are very important. And there are dozens of others such as, Given that, in your campaign and as governor, you have not acted as a racist could you explain how your thinking evolved? So why don't you ask him? We all might learn something.
2
So it comes down to whether a guy who by all accounts and his upbringing isn't a racist is brought down by this obscene yearbook photo. I would say by his lifetime of actions the answer should be no. But I don't live in Virginia...
The one good thing is that this controversy has brought the whole attitude of "what's the problem with blackface?" that a certain sector of the white population feels to the foreground. Everything is wrong with blackface, btw.
3
Would white people feel offended if a black person wore whiteface in an impersonation of a white rock star? I don't think so! I think they would simply be amused. The whole controversy about governor Northam wearing blackface while doing an impersonation of Michael Jackson is making a case for racism when there is no case. His wearing of blackface was a prop for the act. It was an act of realism, not racism!
2
We now live in a period of extreme fanaticism about racism. You either go along with whatever a African American claims is racism or you're labeled a Racist. Certain nutty people aren't even allowed on college campuses because they offer a different view of something. It's almost become some kind of exercise or fashion today. The extreme Democrats already offered Al Franken to the Goddess of Righteousness and now we have another White Guy who must be burned at the stake for a one time stupid act thinking what he did was funny. It wasn't funny then and it's not funny today. This guy doesn't belong to the Klan and overall has performed well as a governor. Watch what you asked for just to make some people happy. Even if Northam resigns, the Republicans (and Trump already) will use this to their advantage with a already thoughtless bunch of supporters, anyway.
2
A wonderful opportunity to have a real hisory lesson on "race" in the USA.
A Truth and Reconciliation Commission including African indentured "servants" and the role of Bacon's Rebellion and VA race laws.
2
I find it hard to believe that Mr. Northam hadn't sought until relatively recently to find out if his ancestors owned slaves. He was a teenager when "Roots" came out and I know that it made many white people with southern heritage to inquire if their ancestors were slave holders and many blacks to seek whether their ancestors were slaves.
I grew up in Baltimore in the 1960s and still remember when movie theaters could legally refused blacks and newspaper want and housing ads still could contain the abbreviation "col." for colored and the KKK was still very active. And when the great Frank Robinson was traded to the Orioles before the 1966 season he had difficulty finding housing fitting his income level as Jackie Robinson did years before. Yet I never would have considered wearing black face or calling a black person an "oreo" to be appropriate anymore than it would be to use the "n" word then or now even in a joking manner. By the way, despite what the article suggests, the term "cracker" referring to a white person was not the same as oreo for a black person. For many years and until the Braves moved there in the 1960s Atlanta's minor league baseball team was nicknamed the "Crackers." I can't recall any team being nicknamed the "Oreos."
2
Northam is a saint compared to The Con Man in Chief (Donald) and Senate Politburo Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
7
Northam is safe. The media is now actively engaged, with this article on the front page (online version) of the NYT, in rehabilitating him. Was touch and go there for a minute. If the LT. Gov. had not devolved into his own scandal Northam would be long gone by now and the fawning articles would have been about the Historic rise of Governor Fairfax.
1
The racist photo and black faced performance occurred 35 years ago--bad! Since then, the governor has led an exemplary life as a physician and in public service So what's the statute of limitations, if any?
6
I'd be interested to see how many people of his age used racial epithets or halloween costumes (that we find offensive today) in their younger years. I know I did. I know that many words had meanings that we never chose to explore. Just like my lovely Indiana neighbor used to use the term 'Jew you down' or call someone a 'Shylock'. this was in the 90's. Getting a calm explanation of what the term meant resulted in utter shock and her never using the terms again.
I am glad to see us becoming a more aware society but acting as if no one grew up ignorant or blissfully unaware of how racist their words or actions could be is just naive. Northam handled this badly. IMHO instead of denying it after admitting it he should have had a discussion about how those things were acceptable and should not be. The democratic party is really becoming the 'Holier than thou' party that is shooting itself in the foot.
4
Much has been discussed about how much Americans of African descent have advanced since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but very little has been talked about that relates to corresponding changes for Americans of European descent. The reactions of Governor Northam show an awareness of the hurtful nature of his acts when he was a student, while his actions since that time show a commitment to a society where equality is a fact rather than a talking point.
As a society, the United States has a long way to go, but Ralph Northam’s actions as he has matured clearly show a pathway to the realization of Dr. King’s dream.
1
The media and the pundits can continue calling for Governor Northam's resignation - all in vain - he's not going anywhere.
Nor should he
The residents of Virginia have spoken - polls have indicated whites and blacks in the State of Virginia support their Governor.
Whatever anyone else says is irrelevant - the voters of VA elected him - the decision is theirs.
Stay the course Governor - don't let this incident define your career or your life for that matter!
Do not resign!
1
Northam is for protecting Voting Rights, Expanding Medicaid, Redistricting the state fairly, and removing Confederate monuments from state property.
Democrats, grow up! Forgive people their flaws and concentrate on passing good laws that help millions of people.
4
Can we take a step back for a moment and allow this reality to sink in: under widely disseminated democrat norms, all three of the top ranking democrats in the State of Virginia have done something so bad that they need to be tossed out like so many pieces of garbage (assuming we apply the rules consistently without regard for the inconvenient fact that the next on deck is a republican). I have news for you too: the next guy has also done something disqualifying; the only uncertainty is whether the disqualifying act or acts become discovered. The reason I know the foregoing is that whatever person is put forth, whether they be a man or woman, whether they be black, white, hispanic or asian, whether they be gay, straight or transgender, they will have one thing in common: they will be a human being, and human beings can barely get through a single day without doing something awful let alone a lifetime.
In my view, the most important passage in the Bible (albeit I haven't read the thing in entirety) is the passage where Jesus Christ advocates restraint by the Pharisees who are about to stone a woman found in the act of adultery. He states "he that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her." His point was that no one is without sin, and we should take it easy on each other rather than condemning each other. This is a message that I think liberals sorely need now more than ever because they are at grave risk of eating each other alive.
3
Ever since I read that he was doing the moonwalk as Michael Jackson I’ve been wondering dressing up and using make-up is clearly racist. Maybe he admired Michael Jackson. Maybe there was no ill intent, no racism.
We’ve all made mistakes in our lives. Maybe we even done a complete aboutface on a issue. I know I have and I know many other people who have. (Consider Malcom X) But we have become so quick to judge and ruin someone’s life.
Too bad there was not the same hew and cry over Brett Kavanaugh’s past. But that was just a woman.
We will never heal from our racist past (and present) if we cannot judge people on present actions and forgive their past.
3
@J Keyes
Try to add to your otherwise good thinking the idea that it's not intent alone that causes damage. For example, one could very accidentally kill someone by making a terrible mistake. So, the group that is hurt must be more important than the intent of the person who takes the hurtful action. Sure, we should not call an unintentional perpetrator of an accident by the name of murderer even though someone dies. But society has to condemn reckless or ignorant behavior and clearly mark hazards in order to prevent more future occurrences of accidents that hurt or destroy others. Unintentional racism is still harmful, and no one should say "I can blackface if I'm not a racist in my intention, and it doesn't matter if some people, including black people, don't agree" -- but some do make this claim. This article helps, but still does not completely explain Northam. Why did he refer to slaves as indentured servants? There is a mystery here that probably will never be completely solved. But condemning blackface in no uncertain terms is necessary.
Top three government officials associated with sexual and heinous racial actions and they have not been forced to resign.
Where is the outrage?
1
I was born and reared in Los Angeles County and "race" was as fraught here as anywhere else. We had "sunset laws" and restrictive covenants long after the latter was deemed unconstitutional by the USSC. Interracial dating and marriage was strongly discouraged, even though the California Supreme Court declared it legal in 1948. Some of my relatives used derogatory language to refer to African Americans into the 1970s-80s, even though we younger folks cringed, or criticised them. What Northam did was boneheaded and clueless. Was he a racist? It's a complicated issue, as many have suggested.
1
The evaluation of Dr. Northam's character by those who know him best, especially African American people, carries a greater weight than those who don't know him at all. I respect their judgement.
2
Easy to understand Northam. He simply availed himself of a cultural resources which had been widespread and commonplace for decades. Think Al Jolson and, on radio, Amos and Andy.
Also easy to understand: The mock horror of the politically correct who have themselves never done a stroke to fight racism up close and personal. Long on strident talk and big on protest walk.
1
This article completely changes my guesses about Gov. Northam; everything here massively argues against a presumption of hidden anti-Black attitudes. He should remain in office.
1
I’ve been thinking a lot about this matter and am still not sure where to come down on it, but here’s as analogous situation I ran into the other day. I am the president of a non-profit organization in North Carolina and Jewish. Our highly competent executive director comes from a rural part of the state but has “been around” since and even worked on a project to convert a synagogue in Los Angeles into a performing arts center. Nevertheless, in a casual conversation, he let slip a series of stereotypical remarks about Jews as being more intelligent, richer and more powerful politically than their numbers in the general population would suggest.
I’m not saying that these remarks even come close to the offending pictures in Northam’s yearbook, but they do reveal a latent insensitivity and stereotypical thinking. Yet I decided to say nothing, realizing that he meant no harm and was even trying to compliment me.
So here’s another take on the yearbook photo: Maybe, in showing the klansman and the faux. African American smiling together, it was suggesting the idea of racial reconciliation—no matter how clumsy and tone deaf the attempt. I’m not excusing it, but I wonder whether it’s worth the Commonwealth of Virginia going into meltdown, and I noted that many of Virginia’s black voters have come to Northam’s defense. The revelation of the misstep has been an embarrassment to the original perpetrators and an important lesson for the general public. Let’s move on.
4
Look, Northam needs to be considered as a man, not as a symbol of something that obviously doesn’t represent who he is. This man grew up with blacks, has worked against discrimination, and even goes to a predominantly black church. I say this as a pretty liberal white woman, who found the Kavanaugh events very disquieting. I won’t deny there have been missteps, but I think the support from people of whatever color on the Eastern Shore (I used to be one) speaks worlds.
2
A wise man once said "all we know is what we learned". Governor Northam grew up in a different time and era. His policies have proven that he has learned the racists that surrounded him in his youth and early adulthood were wrong. The democrats must stop this rush for judgement on acts done 10. 20 or 30 years ago. Al Franken was a comedian and they banned him for a joke that involved a Playboy bunny. Al would be a great asset when we are fighting to save our democracy. Please judge Mr Northam on his policies.
5
Everything I've read about Governor Northam indicates he is anything but racist. He should not resign. Those legislators in his party who instantly called for his resignation seem disingenuous at best. They are thinking about one thing and one thing only - how does their position impact their voter's opinions of them. I would not think highly.
1
The Democrat's zero tolerance policy is short-sighted and self-destructive. Northram's black facing was ignorant and offensive. Perhaps there is more of the same in this man's history but it is prudent and sensible to look at the man's life in its totality. How many of us have thought, said or done something that is offensive to blacks, latinos, Asians, women, gays, the disabled, etc. Let's get real. The Democrats are hurting their own brand. We will never heal if we engage in self-righteous vilification . These are teaching moments.
1
Maybe we are finally discussing race and forgiveness as it needs to be. Hopefully, the wave of slavery that broke on our shores 400 years ago bringing us nothing but violence, cruelty and oppression is now finally starting to recede. Slavery and its mirror image of racism has stained our principles and trampled the good and best intentions of hundreds of millions of us for far too long. It’s time to send our selfish human dark side back to the deep ocean of hate from which it came. It’s time we reclaim our birthright as written in our holy books and Constitution.
2
Northam has been skating on privilege that he does not see and can only barely conceptually grasp when it is explained to him (as friends of his apparently tried to do after he said he didn’t understand the racism and insensitivity inherent in a white person wearing blackface). He’s almost childlike in the press interview in which he is apparently on the verge of doing the moonwalk dance in response to a reporter’s question. It’s astonishing that this boy-man is the governor of a state.
I did read that a Breitbart 'spinoff' started this controversy. The Dems, I am Dem, went for it hook, line and sinker. They failed to get FACTS, and went for jugular. Shame on my fellow Dems. I stand with Gov. Northrum on this one.
4
If Northam is going to get past this and lead Virginia he is going to need to do better. Calling the first slaves who came to Virginia "indentured servants" isn't going to cut it.
Northam appears to be victim to that tired southern meme that slaves were better off under the old south than they were under reconstruction and that most slave holders treated their slaves with dignity and humanity. We need to get past the war of northern aggression nonsense and stop claiming that slaves were happy campers or that the civil war was about states rights. Slavery is abhorrent, and its vestiges are ugly.
1
That place sounds as if it's stuck in the 1950's.
Perhaps the historical notion that VA's Eastern Shore had clearly northern sympathies during the Civil War should have been mentioned. These Virginia eastern shore counties were not part of the confederacy during the Civil War and were held by the forces of the United States government. An unfortunate oversight by the authors. Intentional? Start with a conclusion and back fill with select data to support a half-truth agenda? Grade = C-. Try again.......
1
@Mike
You, sir, get the star of the day. The shore folk, were and are still fiercely independent. ESVA could use a few things these days, but it may be one of America's best kept secrets. Here's to hoping it stays that way!
It is curious that none of the analysis asks whether he can lead the state right now. None of the democratic party has stepped forward with an aggressive program to change the culture of the state, though they are busy at work in the legislature. Clearly they are not going to stand with him, to divert attention by creating leadership for change.
Northam himself is bleating about he is the man to make change, but no change is in the offing.
Yuck and more yuck. As a voter in a state that has survived eight years of the nasty, mean, selfcentered, bigoted Paul LePage I find it sad to watch another state go down the tubes. Where are the citizen advocacy groups, the church leaders?
Democrats: be careful what you wish for.
Do you want to barter away the immense moral standing you gained from the Obama presidency - a decent man who was racially attacked by the Right?
Do you want to become the target of Republican talking points anytime racism comes up - "Oh look, they do it too, everybody does it, let's move on."
Defending Clinton's misdeeds hollowed out your moral standing and came back to haunt you in the form of the Trump presidency, and you couldn't muster a coherent moral narrative when it mattered most.
Do you want Virginia to haunt you for decades? Is this short-term gain worth it?
Excusing Northam's actions because he was accepted as a friend by Blacks while growing up on Virginia's Eastern Shore is simply wrong. All of us probably know White individuals who were members of sport's teams with Blacks, or went to school with Blacks, or had friends who were Blacks, while still harboring deep racial bias against the Blacks as a whole. There are various levels of racism, ranging from a member of a White Supremacy Group to someone who locks his or her car doors when in a Black neighborhood. For too long the nation has tolerated racial stereotypes, racial jokes, racial fears, racial inequality and racial resentment. It is difficult to know what is in Northam's heart, but he either harbors some degree of racism or was an incredibly stupid person not to recognize the meaning and impact of his actions. Can he actually expect anyone to believe that he was unaware of the impact of the yearbook photo, particularly on Black readers? If Northam leaves, the loss of one Virginia political leader, even if repentant, in the hope of impacting the thinking of millions of Whites is a worthwhile sacrifice.
I've gone back and forth on whether Mr. Northam should resign. When I first learned about the yearbook picture, I thought he should resign. How could he not have known what was in his yearbook page? But then, I thought perhaps it was a prank accomplished by an editor or frenemy, and I felt he should stay put. Then I was concerned he wouldn't have any political power to achieve his or any agenda in his remaining year, and I wanted him to resign. Now, I want him to complete his remaining term. Why? He may be the best person to lead a state and perhaps even national conversation about how a white person can feel they are not a racist and yet perpetuate racism. With his unique experiences growing up through medical school, he does in fact have the moral power to shed light (finally) on these topics.
18
@Hickey
As someone how voted for Northam for governor, I have gone through the same back and forth that you describe for yourself. I have landed on giving him a second chance and a chance to lead. This is due in large part because I think that there is a basic decency to him, and his body of work as an adult has been one of service.
What I don't know currently is whether he has those leadership skills. He is not a good speaker, and he does not do well in interviews (to say the least) - and both qualities are necessary to lead. We will see.
But if he does devote himself to leading on policies that support racial equality and social justice, and tackle the persistent egregious racism in this state (e.g. Confederate statutes), I will support him in those efforts.
1
I think it's apparent that Governor Northam's heart is, and always has been, in the right place. Considering his upbringing, I can see where he may not have appreciated the significance or insensitivity of blackface. I don't think he really sees color, not to say that he wasn't aware. I lived on the Eastern Shore of VA from 4th-9th grade, and am the same age as Governor Northam. And even though our lives were largely segregated by neighborhoods (I actually lived on a decommissioned Navy base - Wallops), I never sensed or experienced the tension, animosity, or prejudice that many places did. My husband lived in Norfolk,Va during that period and said it was rough. I actually believe Northam has always been evolved, way more so than most of us. He should NOT resign.
1
I get that politics is not accounting, but once again we see the simplistic idea that in the public realm there are only debits and no credits. Surely Gov. Northam’s good works should not be discounted to zero.
1
I think that Northam demonstrates what a prevailing culture will do to an individual. He seemingly lived his life with an open mind through his daily interactions, his friendships and his decisions about his children's schooling. However, calling slavery "indentured servitude" in a speech shows how deeply ingrained those views are in the confederate states.
1
Excellent point about conditioned racism.
"Gerald Boyd, who is black and has lived on the Eastern Shore since 1951, said Mr. Northam’s case was a cautionary tale that the nation’s racist conditioning can snare even well-meaning people.
“That conditioning slips out in the form of thoughts and feelings and words, jokes and deeds,” he said. “Until white people have a chance to talk about how they have been conditioned, it’ll sneak up on them.”
I wonder how many people, upon honest critical self-reflection, would be completely free of conditioned racism.
As for Northam, I live in VA and I voted for him for governor in Nov 2017. I am willing to give him a second chance because there is a basic decency about him. And this is an opportunity for him to lead a honest discussion about racism and lead in enacting social justice policies.
However, while his intent might be correct (and his heart in the right place), I currently don't know if he has the necessary leadership skills. He is not a good speaker and is not good in interviews (both of which are needed to be an effective leader).
The call for change is deafening. Here is a man who by all counts has led a good and moral life. What shortcomings he has had due to the culture and society he found himself have indeed changed completely and undeniably. He should be applauded and not demonized for that. If this good man is thrown under the bus for political advantage of those much much much less worthy, who have not come even close to this mans service to this country and to his neighbors, than we will all suffer the consequences.
1
Overcoming the attitudes and perspectives instilled by parents can take decades to change. Their will be acts and thoughts expressed that reflect those views even while a person is changing them.
However, those who have been hurt and humiliated only will feel safe when any who have exhibited the behaviors causing their suffering have been thoroughly chastised and ostracized so as to assure that nobody else will ever dare to act as they have.
A appreciate the complexity of the issue. I have ancestors from the Eastern Shore going back hundreds of years and reading through the few papers I can access I know it’s possible there were slaveholders among them. The one relative I knew from that area back in the 70s was clearly a racist in her genteel way, using terms like “darky” and I was told of her offering her left hand instead of her right to people of color even if I did not witness it myself. I watched my now-dead parents evolve away from that mindset with varying degrees of success. I can’t change their history but I can understand my own history and hope that we can continue to do better and be judged by the progress we make rather than the mistakes we (and our ancestors) made. What’s so distressing to me is the realization that while the Governor appears to have made progress in the years since Medical school we are now aware of how many people in power are actively working to undo whatever progress we have made through voter suppression and racist lending, housing and medical practices. We have to have a more nuanced understanding and response to the differences between discriminatory policies and individual, personal mistakes. Others in high office have been - and are being - excused for actual crimes that would land ordinary people in jail. I don’t know what the answer is in Virginia but I hope people think it through.
1
Thank you for this thoughtful article about an area unknown to most in America - rural Virginia. As a Virginian living in Massachusetts for many years, it's hard to listen to most here who have a cardboard cut-out understanding of the south. (Made all the more irritating by the blindness toward their own history of racism.)
Virginians of Northam's generation should be proud. We were born into a time of extreme upheaval -100s of years of SLAVERY ...what it did to this country is unfathomable.
Just months before our births, Jim Crow was the law of the south, and segregation was the law in the entire country (although the North was ahead of the game in change). While the fight for civil rights raged (and our great grandparents told stories of the civil war) - many of us were the first to go to school together. We played together while the adults fought.
Imagine this world with racist iconography all around us while we were taught that all are equal and that a new day was in our hands. Imagine listening to the stories of our grandparents- some sharecroppers, grandchildren of slave owners and slaves. Kids played out minstrel scenes together - naive to the meaning. We were confused as we watched our black playmates and schoolmates succumb to inequalities we were taught no longer existed. As adults our naive beliefs calcified.
In less than one life-time Virginia's growth toward equal rights has been massive. Northam's (our) generation is imperfect, but should still be proud.
1
"...for a decade beginning in the mid-1990s, Mr. Northam commuted 60 miles each way to treat the children at the center, including many from African-American, Latino or Haitian families who worked on the region’s farms or in its chicken processing plants."
That in itself does not absolve Dr. Northam from any racist imagery he countenanced on his yearbook page. It does afford him our forbearance, especially the 99% of us white critics who have done nothing remotely comparable to Dr. Northam's work among disadvantaged people of color.
He should not think of resigning.
1
This article by Ms. Mervosh is important for many reasons. Primarily, it's well-sourced and well written focusing our attention on a central theme. After reading it, I have become even more convinced Mr. Northam should remain in place doing what he originally set out to do. But after a little more thinking on this article, it seemed a bit like what I read concerning Bret Kavanaugh and Ms. Christine Ford. Except in the latter circumstances, there was a lack of pertinent information as to salient alleged facts presented by Ms. Ford. In the former circumstances here concerning Mr. Northam, there is plenty of material factual eye-witness account corroboration. Thank you NYT and Ms. Mervosh!
1
@willw
I didn't see the original byline: By John Eligon and Elizabeth Williamson. I apologize.
@willw I didn't see the byline at first, By John Eligon and Elizabeth Williamson. Thank you, also.
Perhaps people today don't understand the legacy of segregation in the South that while officially over in 1984 when Gov. Northam was in med school still remained. At least part of the time Northam would have attended a segregated school, a segregated church and likely lived in a segregated neighborhood. Even in college in the South in the 1980's students hung out in racial groups. Northam almost certainly had little chance to have candid discussions with black people about how they felt about such things as black face, and racial stereotypes that were a part of daily life.
We were not born with a fully formed perception of how our actions affect others, nor the gift to see ourselves as others see us. This is a lifetime journey.
I was raised in rural Alabama and even after 68 years, I still struggle with getting things right. Even though I know why some people see that yearbook photo as deeply offensive, my initial reaction to the image was that those unidentified students were making fun of racial stereotypes, and suggesting that divisions could be mended over a beer. I know it's hurtful to some, but could 25-year-old Northan know that?
My point is that it's wrong to apply today's sensibilities in judgment of something that happened in a very different time, and to ignore its context.
I also reject the idea that a youthful insensitivity should disqualify someone from public service forever. Who among has never had a shameful thought or deed?
1
This is an excellent article. Despite de facto dating segregation it is pretty clear that growing up in Onancock was, compared to growing up an average urban white liberal, a life lived with interracial intimacy on a daily level. These historical moments cannot be seen as black and white.
1
In many, many trips to Virginia--including one with a guided tour of Williamsburg--the (white) docents referred to slaves as "servants." The first time I heard it, I almost fell over. I was advised by my spouse not to challenge them. It was revolting.
1
What I find troubling and offensive today is the rise of “calling out”: the practice of claiming moral superiority by chastising someone for a mistake they made in the (often) distant past. It is a practice that may seem like it is trying to expose and root out wrong in the world, but really it’s a technique used to claim power. If I declare I’m appalled by your behavior, that means I’m saying I’m better than you, and the world should disregard / punish you and follow me instead. It’s about power.
2
What would worry me about a politician is if they continued to show up at public event after public event with an artificially darkened skin tone and whip white people into a frenzy with a message that all of their problems are caused by people who are different from them, and the success of our nation now depends on limiting the number of brown-skinned people, or people who don't speak English as their first language, or who might be Muslim, or who come from Africa, the Caribbean, or anywhere south of the border.
If we remember all the way back to President Obama's defeat of Mitt Romney in 2012, the ensuing Autopsy by the GOP determined that -- in the face of rapidly changing demographics -- they would need to shed their image as the party of old, white patriarchy and become kinder, gentler and more inclusive.
And while the old, white patriarchy saw that young conservative minorities like Bobby Jindal and Marco Rubio were useful props for their branding, they ultimately decided that change would be too difficult and less lucrative for them than installing an old, off-white demagogue who promised to stem the tide of those "rapidly changing demographics."
Reform is just too hard for those who would lose power in reforming.
And so this is why "Love Trumps Hate" was a terrible slogan for Hillary. It was just one apostrophe off from the visionless directive of the GOP's final gasp as that old, white patriarchy: they rallied all the deplorables to "love Trump's hate."
2
I'm at a loss. The Northams have lived on the Eastern Shore for some 200 (plus?) years and "he didn't didn’t learn that his ancestors had been slaveholders until 2017". This seems a dubious claim. He also believes the first Africans to arrive in Virginia were indentured servants. Even if we call that ignorance, what does that mean for Virginians?
I am 81yrs old and at one time I was a racist but I have evolved over time and consider myself accepting of all people regardless of race or ethnicity. Not too many of us have not said or done discriminatory things in our life but we have hopefully evolved into better people over time. I believe Mr Northam has evolved and should not resign. Most people would have to resign in important positions if they were held to things they regretted doing in the past. I believe Mr. Northam has EVOLVED into a caring person. Can anyone prove that he has not evolved to being a better more accepting person?
2
I was five years old (I was born 3 years before Northam) when I called another boy, who happened to be black, "chocolate". Decades later, I still recall that my mother was angrier with me when she found out than about anything else in my childhood.
But I did not grow up on the Eastern Shore, so maybe someone from that place and time need to do more to make up for what was lacking in their upbringing. I applaud Northam for recognizing the need and for his commitment.
What I do not understand is why the citizens of Virginia are required to support and pay, monetarily and in the conflation of personal priorities with policy needs for the state, for this personal journey. Being elected governor is a public privilege. It is not a pathway to penance. He should resign and focus on his own El Camino de Santiago
1
Northam should stay. He won the gubernatorial election by nearly 10 points. The reason? Women. Specifically, African-American female voters. We wanted him to lead our state. Wearing blackface in the 1980s was racially insensitive, but it wasn't a crime. It was immoral, not illegal. He has apologized (however inelegantly) for that poor choice, and wants to publicly continue the healing process. I work in public education; this is a teachable moment. Actually, it is an excellent investment by the taxpayers of Virginia, to learn how insidious white privilege is, and to experience the value of forgiveness and redemption. To borrow a phrase from Dr. King, the arc of the moral universe only bends towards justice when we join together to move it.
My only thoughts on this whole issue (besides being sad for the whole mess), is why do we insist on holding decent Democrats to a standard higher than "many Republicans", why can't we give someone who does work hard, a chance to make amends and improve. If we teach our children that if you get caught doing something wrong then you will be punished with no forgiveness, what does that teach them? It teaches them to lie, and insist things never happened (that sounds familiar). Let him make this a growing opportunity that our citizens can learn from.
23
The real issue is not that Northam had a photo taken with blackface, but how he is currently handling it. Anyone would have immediately known if they had ever had a photo such as that taken so the issue is first accepting the blame and dealing with it in the present tense and let the public be the judge, but no Northam chose to try and explain it away and take the Trump approach of dealing with a very pressing issue. Anyone can make a mistake and I don't feel that your past alone should be the judge of a persons character, but Northam has shown what his present character is and it's nothing to be proud of.
4
@VMG
I don't agree. I think it shows he's a lousy politician, but doesn't "prove" anything about his character or his ability to lead.
@VMGIt puzzles me too why Governor Northam failed so miserably to explain and apologize for the photo reproduced from his yearbook page, but isn't it possible that he knew both people and was clumsy at buying time to know more before speaking publicly? It has been reported that he never purchased a yearbook after it was published and had to send aids to EVMS (the medical school) to get a copy. So many conclusions and opinions floating around that first weekend particularly from people who had no idea what Dr. Northam had done in the thirty plus years between medical school and election to Governor.
1
@VMG
The issue is the hypocrisy of those like you. Northam did exactly what you say you wanted him to do -- accepted the blame and apologized -- and I suspect you were among the people who shouted for him to resign despite that.
There is a lot of hypocrisy here and I'm tired of it.
In the 1960's, I did not grow up in Virginia, but in a Midwest town where it was rare to see a black person. This article has helped me to see what it was like to grow up in an area where segregation was real. I was raised to appreciate the Civil Right's Movement, but I never as a child had a black neighbor or went to school where black children attended. I remeber one boy in our small town high school. So, how can I judge someone to be racist who grew up amoung black people in a state where discrimination was very real at the time? After reading this article and finding that Mr. Northam had black friends and worked to see that minorities received care that they couldn't get otherwise I believe that he is getting an unfair public condemnation in the media. Democrats need to overseer members of their party, but they also need to dig deeper into the person's background, outside of one page of a yearbook, before demanding that they step down.
21
Thank you for this background information on Governor Northam. He clearly is not a racist.
The article says, "Many people are now wondering how this same Ralph Northam, now the governor of Virginia, could be the man who ended up with a racist photograph on his page in a medical-school yearbook."
Governor Northam says he did not submit the photo and, in an article in the Seattle P.I. ( online only) last week, a fellow graduate said it was not unusual for pages to be altered without their knowledge.
I truly hope this is a lesson to those who make media decisions to stop being a "circus" and do some deep digging before you race with a story without all the facts. It is very easy for junior high school level gossip and innuendo to destroy a person virtually overnight now. We must be on constant guard to not allow disinformation to color our thoughts and action.
Readers can see the P.I. articles here:
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/A-tip-from-a-concerned-citizen-helps-a-reporter-13585192.php
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/education/article/Racist-yearbook-photo-went-unnoticed-by-busy-med-13591054.php
8
Northram has evolved.
The majority(GOP) VA General Assembly still has work to do. In 21st century Virginia, the VA GOP majority has demonstrated laser knowledge in their attempts to stifle minority impact on elections and representation in Virginia:
-Redistricting plans that pack minorities into certain districts(Supreme Court overturned)
-Passing voter laws that make voting more difficult, especially minorities and elderly.
That is what Virginia is fighting today.
36
The problem I have with this is that Northam was not a kid when he did it. He was graduating from medical school. In other words, he was an adult. If he had been a teenager and this turned up I would be inclined to forgive him based upon the fact that he was young but I would want to see what he'd done since then.
There are people out there who DO understand the meaning what they say and do and do it anyway. You cannot tell me that Trump and the GOP do not understand the meaning of the socioeconomic games they are playing with Americans now. They know that they are hurting most of us. They don't care because, for the most part, their lives don't intersect ours. They should not be forgiven.
There are two problems with this incident. One is that he was not a child. The other is that this is being used as a bludgeon to eclipse any reasons there may be to look at it in a larger context. Hysteria is not the best way to understand things. I doubt that any of this is as simple as either side wants it to be. The only simple part is that he was not a child.
16
@hen3ry I agree. After reading this article his age is the issue that stands out for me as well. Initially I wanted him to resign immediately in order to prove the Dems should clean house when these issues arise, but I’ve kearned from this article that these situations can be more nuanced - but ultimately still not right
1
@hen3ry No, he wasn't a child but life was very different then. Racism was part of life for many people and the social change that has evolved over the last 40-50 years since the photograph was taken has changed so many of us (not all, unfortunately). I believe that Governor Northam's record demonstrates that he has evolved. I believe that his good works exonerate a stupid choice made so long ago. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
@hen3ry
He was still very young, and not fully matured. College kids, boys even more so, do some really stupid things. That's just a fact. I tend to think 24-25 year olds are in many ways children. He has more than made up for what I see as an insensitive youthful indiscretion.
1
I find people to be very unforgiving lately, and so willing to rush to judgement. I care about what Mr. Northam has done since, and about what he is doing now. Sure, what he did was a stupid thing to do, but what has he done since then? Give him a chance.
130
I agree.He has been exemplary since then.Give him a chance!
1
@MScott Black folks have been asking for chances for hundreds of years, and were able to get them. They don't get to make up excuses when being around white folks. They have to go in all situations knowing what is acceptable and what isn't. Northam doesn't deserve another chance, he got into office with that picture circulating and didn't care. His white priviledge allowed this. That was his chance, and now he has been exposed for the, no doubt, racist and I don't care about black folks person that he is. He doesn't deserve to serve as a public representive for the people because he it is not all people that he suppose serves.
Did Mr. Northam make racist / discriminatory decisions in the past 10 years?
These were different times. Anything can misinterpreted.
If there is a history of discrimination and racism in the past decade, then push for his resignation. If not, let him be.
We are going from one extreme to the next. Sad! Ridiculous!
94
What has the country, and the Democratic Party, become when a prank from 30 some years ago that was neither a crime nor as morally wrong as it is now is dragged up to imply a man who has shown consideration to all his fellow citizens through a life of service and honour is "racist"; it is pathetic. Is "moonwalking" now racist? What if I forgot to tip a colored waiter 20 years ago; would I now be a "racist"? This is the liberal extreme gone crazy. Don't resign.
74
“What if I forgot to tip a colored waiter 20 years ago”.
Maybe you’re not the best person for others to listen to, unless they’re looking for permission to not care about how Northam’s ignorance (then and now) is harmful and needs to change.
A "colored" waiter? Were you using that term ironically? i sincerely hope so. If not, the Governor may not want you to keep defending him publicly.
@Luke forgetting to tip someone many years ago would probably not be held against you. Using the fraught word "colored" in a 2019 email is much more problematic!
1
Biblically, there is only one proclamation of how one lives
successfully - holding hands with God.
Love is a decision, not a feeling. Behind anxiety feeling is
power to love. Giving, sharing, reaching out.
Each person is important in holding the nation between eras.
Trust God's presence.
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Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, wherefore art thou?
The Dems need to pull back from this binary all-or-nothing war on themselves. Gov Northam might be a bit clueless - maybe his wife would make a better governor! - but he would be better than many, esp. the Repubs. The Dems sacrificed Al Franken - for crying loud, he was a SNL comedian before he became serious! - to further the MeToo narrative. While it might be true that gender politics is riding high right now, the backlash could be too.
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it makes sense to watch this complex cultural story and an individual experience unfold. A rush to judgement is unnecessary and counter-productive.
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agree
Maybe Northam should go, to protect the Dem brand.
But we're long overdue for having Joy Reid go from MSNBC. Her past horrific, homophobic blog posts were at first denied by her ("I was hacked"), then admitted to and apologized for. Very much like the Northam scenario. For MSNBC to have HER on the air commenting on the hate speech/hate acts of others is almost laughable in its cynical hypocrisy.
I watch MSNBC a lot, and I like many of their hosts. For the network and those hosts to give Reid a continued pass on bigotry only reduces the moral authority of the network and hosts to comment on bigotry from anyone else
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I think he should stay as the zero tolerance policy of the Democrats is wrong in my opinion. I also think the open ended tolerance that brought us people like Trump and Judge Roy Moore is wrong.
Of course blackface is wrong and I don't think anyone thinking Northam should stay thinks otherwise. But I do believe in redemption and from the life actions of Northam sufficient evident is about to show he deserves a second chance.
If he does not get a second chance where is the incentive for others to change and become better people?
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@Areader
"But I do believe in redemption"
But doesn't redemption also mean admitting? Put it this way: why did the person towards whom redemption is urged not mention any of this until it was reported?
The most enduring and racism is the most subtle, attitudes that seem to be calmly “normal.”
The govenor has called early slaves “indentured servants.” An indenture is a contract where one performs a service in return for something of value.
My Irish ancestors were indentured servants. They could not afford the ship’s passage over so they agreed to work for the owner for seven years once they arrived.
It does not matter how Virginia law at the time classified captured Africans who were brought here against their will and forced to work for generations 400 years ago. To use the phrase “indentured servants” today is an insult, even more so when it is delivered with a smile and a coy, patrician Tidewater accent. It is a dismissive characterization of one of history’s greatest sins and falls into the same category as blackface. The governor just doesnt get it.
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@David
I think his "indentured servant" terminology serves to reinforce the concerns that racism exists at a subconscious level. That comment sounds like a Sarah HS spin on truth.
@David You call Northam's error in calling African slave "indentured servants" an insult. In what way are you insulted? It's this sort of hyperbole - faux shock, faux insult, that leads nowhere.
You call the Tidewater accent "coy" and "patrician". Shall those of us with the accent be insulted?
Are you willing to get beyond this kabuki theater of rhetorical insult and talk about real things? The real thing is that we have a history of racism and those in Virginia are likely to have an ancestry of slave-holding. ALL in America (and the world) have to grapple with their own racism and their own ignorance about others. Let's focus on whether Northam has shown a willingness to serve his constituents of all races.
Northam was technically correct, by the way. Does it matter?
Being an Indentured servant was not 'paying off debt' in the way YOU seem to believe. The only difference was that if they survived 7 years they would USUALLY be freed.
From http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/indentured-servants-in-the-us/
"In 1619 the first black Africans came to Virginia. With no slave laws in place, they were initially treated as indentured servants, and given the same opportunities for freedom dues as whites. However, slave laws were soon passed – in Massachusetts in 1641 and Virginia in 1661 –and any small freedoms that might have existed for blacks were taken away."
Rhetorical arguments are just a way to foment anger.
Finally, an article that isn’t about the politics but that actually looks at the person, how he was raised and what he’s done. I think so many people calling for his head (apart from the pure opportunists and headline-chasers) are from younger generations who can’t imagine a world in which the blackface costuming could be unremarkable among whites. We’re in a better place now but how about some recognition that people can grow and change, and that they should be judged on the totality of their life. I think that’s what all of would hope for, for ourselves.
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@10009
"blackface costuming could be unremarkable among whites."
One could easily remove the first two words and replace them with lynching; the sentence would still work
"younger generations who can’t imagine a world in which the blackface costuming could be unremarkable among whites.""
Nothing to imagine, as some in these younger generations STILL do this!
@John Winthrop There is a vast difference between blackface and lynching. To conflate the two is irresponsible to say the least. We may be riding the wave right now of self righteously correcting everyone who doesn't agree exactly with us, but there are real political consequences to having an all or nothing approach.
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The sad irony of growing up "not seeing race" is that lessons about race are never examined. Mr. Northam's decision to include the deeply offensive photo on his yearbook page, even if he was not one of the two pictured individuals, surely came not out of racism but out of ignorance. We Euro-Americans who feel - and are apparently accepted - as "members" perhaps assume too easy a familiarity that fuels actions more hurtful than those of closeted racists who know how to pretend.
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@Randolph
Thank you for articulating so well exactly what I was thinking. Governor Northam is a good and decent man who has proven as much through his deeds while an adult. I see no indication that he's racist. Please, let's move on and not destroy a good man's reputation for no reason. I know someone who knows him personally through his volunteer work with a children's hospice. She's devastated because she knows what a decent man he is.
@Randolph
"surely came not out of racism but out of ignorance"
Rubbish. The person had African American friends
I also agree with Cheryl from Yorktown. Governor Northam could be of great service to the people of Virginia by showing how a person can learn from his mistakes and insensitivity. He could show us how the past is still with us and is part of who we are. This mess - like most - requires a humane response which recognizes the possibility that we can grow and learn throughout our lives.
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Let all of us be judged on what we may have done when we were 19 or 22 or even 25. Judged forever. We must all be pure. No one can change, right?
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@Joe. I suppose that Justice Kavanaugh would agree with you....
1
Public discussion of Gov. Ralph Northam will not resolve the controversy surrounding him; nor will his unwillingness to have an independent body resolve the dilemma he has placed his party. Gov. Northam needs to clear his name by submitting to an impartial ethics review. Virginia has an Ethics Advisory Council and perhaps that body can handle the question about whether or not he should resign or stay in office. As of now, Gov. Norhtam is hurting himself, his ability to govern, and both the state and national Democratic Party by his stubborn Trump-like refusal to be held accountable and to place himself "above the law."
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@Paul Wortman
So much pontificating. Everyone old enough surely has said or done something regretful, stupid and offensive 35 years ago in their past. Why do you need to waste time and money with a government ethics review for a stupid and immature act 35 years ago? He didn't embezzle money from anyone, cheat on his wife, or commit any other crime. There is no evidence of any racist behavior since then, or any racist act in his official capacity. On the contrary. He seems to have done good works for the people of Virginia, starting with expanding Medicaid.
Furthermore, and more importantly, according to a Washington Post poll, 57% of African-Americans in the state, those who were actually aggrieved, believe that he should NOT resign. Interestingly, this little factoid is being overlooked by the media, which is more interested in fomenting controversy that generates ratings.
1
@dba You can't have the lynch mob out after the African-American Lt. Governor while the white guy Governor declares he's "above the law" for his blatant racist photo and blackface when he was an adult medical school graduate. It looks like the old Jim Crow double standard of one set of rules for whites, another for blacks. And, that's reality in the racial turmoil sweeping Virginia, not "pontificating."
@Paul Wortman
First, potential sexual assault is a crime whereas wearing blackface is not. Second, Fairfax should be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Therefore, I don't think he should resign either.
In an interview with CBS just yesterday, he called slaves "indentured servants". When blacks first arrived in Virginia in 1619, they were technically indentured servants with a few small freedoms, but that's only because Virginia's slave laws had not been written yet. Once those laws were in place - 40 years later - those few rights were taken away and they became slaves. Full stop. Yes, Northam seems like a decent man. Technically he's right. But his judgement (he was speaking to a black woman) is poor to say the least. Or super tone deaf. Or just white.
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@sgoodwin He was correct.That is the bottom line. Speak the truth to everyone, no matter their gender or skin color.
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@V N Rajan
In fact, a WP poll has been done - 58% of African American residents support Northam remaining in office, compared to 48% of white residents. That being said, I find your comment cynical at worst and misguided at best. I am a white resident and voting citizen of Virginia. Gov Northam represents me as well as all residents of Virginia, no matter what our skin color. Your "solution" promotes racial divisions, it hardly takes us down the path of healing our racial divide.
I understand there are things that many people don’t know about the past.
I also understand there are many things that many people do know about the past. And we are ashamed of what occurred.
If someone thought it was ok to participate in black face or any other prejudicial behavior, so be it. That was their choice. Maybe they thought it was cute, funny, the in thing to do. Maybe they thought it was kicks because that was a good joke back then.
But at the root of it was making fun of another human being, a race, a multitude of people. People who were brought here through no choice of their own, forced to work free, behave for white people or else is not funny.
There’s nothing funny about that.
And if someone who is supposed to lead thought that was ok then, what would they think is ok now?
We all do stupid things when young, but just as the kid from Covington thought what he did was ok, I don’t want him explaining years from now, to justify his actions, that that’s the way it was back then.
What about people who made fun of the disabled when they were young? Would that be ok too? How about making fun of the poor kids in town? Would that be ok? Anyone who’s not like them or their circumstance? Just make fun?
There’s never any excuse for making fun of someone else. And for us to think it’s ok for someone to lead who has participated in such behavior is wrong.
All of this should have come up before the Virginia elections....that is the mystery.
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@MIMA: The irony is that this issue didn't come up in regard to Northam just because he has been a decent person. His personal and political history have been all in the direction of progress in race relations. That's certainly a big part of why some right-wing outfit dug up and publicized those pictures right at this point in time. They don't show that Northam was really a racist all along, they show that there is still a lot of difficulty in race relations.
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@MIMA
This was not a "kid" however but a high school, college, and med school graduate. It was at the third stage when he took the photo.
What a perfect time to bring this discussion into the open. His reaction to not resign but take honest action to educate and improve race relations in his state should be considered. No one is perfect, no one is exempt from having done things they regret. Accept responsibility and govern in such a way that equality is not questioned in Virginia. Do those governing reflect the population? Are the public schools of high quality? Do all races have an equal opportunity for employment training for good jobs? These and other race-related issues could be addressed, and should be part of this discussion.
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The impression: Northam is a decent man who is so much less calculating than the average politician, that, to anyone who hasn't know him, he seems unbelievable. He did something that was a racist act; he also seems to have done many things that suggest he's honorable, if clueless.
We have some people in power who both behind the scenes and in front of our faces encourage racism, as well as splits related to economic class : he's against those forces. The voices for him have convinced me that he deserves to stay one. ( in much the same way I thought discarding Al Franken wasn't a well considered move).
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I agree with Cheryl from Yorktown. There is a vast difference between a youthful indiscretion - that did not include violence - and a pattern of abuse and indifference. Had violence been a part of the indiscretion I would feel differently. That was the case with the recent Supreme Court appointment. I believe Northam should stay on as governor and set the tone for the state.
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@cheryl
What Northam will prove if he stays on is how diligently he will make up for his failing in the past. Those who call for his resignation are politically motivated. Who better to be a champion of civil and human rights and equality than someone who has to make up for the past?
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@cheryl
"so much less calculating than the average politician"
But how would one possibly know this?
1