# Right, which white Virginia politicians didn't wear blackface in college? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 7, 2019, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101 "2019-02-07T02:56:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/1 "2019-02-07T02:56:55Z")
Political Consultant: “Come on, hands up, the ones who didn’t wear blackface in college! At least some of you must have been content with making fools of yourselves just with your ordinary pinkie-white complexions!” [White Virginia politicians shuffle their feet, look sheepish] Political Consultant: “What, you _all_ wore blackface in college?” [Attorney General puts up his hand.] Political Consultant: “Good! Someone who didn’t make an ass of himself and ruin his future political career! Mr Attorney General?” [Attorney General clears throat] “Actually, I want to put it on the record that I too wore blackface and I’m deeply, _deeply_ sorry. But I’ve changed ! Times were different! I didn’t appreciate the significance! I came from a rural area and didn’t know any better! I pray my constituents will find it in their hearts to forgive me, because I believe that I can truly serve them all [blather, blather, blether].” Political Consultant: " I need a drink. " > **[Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, third in line for governor, wore...](https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/06/virginia-attorney-general-mark-herring-wore-blackface-in-college.html)** > > Virginia's already chaotic executive branch became even more tumultuous Wednesday as the state's attorney general, Mark Herring, admitted he wore blackface at a college party in 1980, deepening a state scandal. Herring, a Democrat, is third in line... ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/2 "2019-02-07T03:26:09Z")
So Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring admitted Wednesday that he wore blackface to dress up like a rapper at a college party in 1980. Why should I care? Why should anyone care? Being a non-Democrat, I’m perfectly happy to stand by and watch the Democrats devour each other, but I’m just saying that I don’t see any logic whatsoever behind this sort of thing. If Herring gets driven out of office because of this, who benefits, other than the Republican who’s next in line for the governorship? And if the answer is “nobody”, then why are Democrats nationwide throwing a temper tantrum? The guy dressed as a rapper and wore black makeup. So what? As Thomas Jefferson [once said](http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/amendI_religions40.html), “It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” Nobody gets hurt by another person’s makeup. A few years ago, there was nothing offensive about this. 10 years ago I was teaching in a school in Virginia and there was an annual event where the 6th graders dressed up as figures from American history. Often white kids dressed as black historical figures. Nobody ever even suggested that there was anything strange or offensive about it. Nobody remarked on it at all. Now the entire left agrees that it’s utterly horrible for any white person to dress as any black person at any time for any reason. Why? Why is being a liberal suddenly an endless game of [Calvinbal](http://www.picpak.net/calvin/calvinball)l where the rules change without warning or reason all the time? ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/3 "2019-02-07T15:04:19Z")
Personally, it’s up to Virginians to police their own, so I don’t care what they do. But I don’t see any shortage of potential leaders, so if constituents want a leader removed, the leader should lead by example and resign. Costuming oneself does not mean one needs to use make-up to change one’s skin tone. Skin-tone is not an essential part of any historical figure. ---
**Author:** ![Smitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Smitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smitty)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/4 "2019-02-07T15:06:34Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > So Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring admitted Wednesday that he wore blackface to dress up like a rapper at a college party in 1980. Why should I care? Why should anyone care? > > Being a non-Democrat, I’m perfectly happy to stand by and watch the Democrats devour each other, but I’m just saying that I don’t see any logic whatsoever behind this sort of thing. If Herring gets driven out of office because of this, who benefits, other than the Republican who’s next in line for the governorship? And if the answer is “nobody”, then why are Democrats nationwide throwing a temper tantrum? > > Why is being a liberal suddenly an endless game of [Calvinbal](http://www.picpak.net/calvin/calvinball)l where the rules change without warning or reason all the time? Because it goes against the liberal narrative that Racism=Republican. You can’t claim that MAGA hats are equivalent to a Klan hood when you have members of your party dressing in ACTUAL Klan hoods. Sort of waters down the message. They can’t now admit that their own party is awash with racists, so they have to pretend all this outrage when one of them gets caught with a (blackened) hand in the cookie jar. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/5 "2019-02-07T15:08:45Z")
> [@Smitty](#): > > Because it goes against the liberal narrative that Racism=Republican. You can’t claim that MAGA hats are equivalent to a Klan hood when you have members of your party dressing in ACTUAL Klan hoods. Sort of waters down the message. They can’t now admit that their own party is awash with racists, so they have to pretend all this outrage when one of them gets caught with a (blackened) hand in the cookie jar. This is an excellent destruction of that straw man you created. Well done! ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/6 "2019-02-07T15:11:38Z")
> [@Smitty](#): > > Because it goes against the liberal narrative that Racism=Republican. You can’t claim that MAGA hats are equivalent to a Klan hood when you have members of your party dressing in ACTUAL Klan hoods. Sort of waters down the message. They can’t now admit that their own party is awash with racists, so they have to pretend all this outrage when one of them gets caught with a (blackened) hand in the cookie jar. I would argue instead that it DOES favor that narrative. Democrats are policing their own for racism whereas Republicans excuse it and move on. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/7 "2019-02-07T15:17:48Z")
Sure, it doesn’t pick your pocket nor break your leg. But it breaks legs for a lot of other people. You’ve heard of that notion that other people besides you exist, right? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/8 "2019-02-07T15:26:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Right, which white Virginia politicians didn’t wear blackface in college? That would be “which white **male** Virginia politicians…” because I bet it was overwhelmingly a guy thing. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/9 "2019-02-07T15:32:56Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Sure, it doesn’t pick your pocket nor break your leg. But it breaks legs for a lot of other people. You’ve heard of that notion that other people besides you exist, right? It doesn’t break any legs. It may offend some people, but that’s a good bit less harmful than a physical trauma like a broken leg. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/10 "2019-02-07T15:36:07Z")
Hmm. I’m not sure about that. Acceptance of systemic racism has harmed people in ways both subtle and gross for generations. A broken leg is - hopefully - over within a few months. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/11 "2019-02-07T16:06:29Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > So Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring admitted Wednesday that he wore blackface to dress up like a rapper at a college party in 1980. Why should I care? Why should anyone care? > > Being a non-Democrat, I’m perfectly happy to stand by and watch the Democrats devour each other, but I’m just saying that I don’t see any logic whatsoever behind this sort of thing. If Herring gets driven out of office because of this, who benefits, other than the Republican who’s next in line for the governorship? And if the answer is “nobody”, then why are Democrats nationwide throwing a temper tantrum? > > The guy dressed as a rapper and wore black makeup. So what? As Thomas Jefferson [once said](http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/amendI_religions40.html), “It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” Nobody gets hurt by another person’s makeup. A few years ago, there was nothing offensive about this. 10 years ago I was teaching in a school in Virginia and there was an annual event where the 6th graders dressed up as figures from American history. Often white kids dressed as black historical figures. Nobody ever even suggested that there was anything strange or offensive about it. Nobody remarked on it at all. > > Now the entire left agrees that it’s utterly horrible for any white person to dress as any black person at any time for any reason. Why? Why is being a liberal suddenly an endless game of [Calvinbal](http://www.picpak.net/calvin/calvinball)l where the rules change without warning or reason all the time? You’re effectively asking how racism hurts people. Do we really need to go through that whole lesson? Do I really need to explain the history of blackface, and what normalizing it does? Do I need to explain empathy even for people who don’t have the same color skin as you? And nothing has changed in this regard since 2008. Either you are mistaken about the year, you’re neglecting that the kids didn’t wear the makeup, or you were in some racist backwater timewarp. That is well within the era when those kids would have been on the news. Hell, that’s the year we elected Obama, and I remember people dressed in blackface to play him being treated like outcasts for it. This is how far we’ve fallen. We’re being told by conservatives (Republicans?) that blackface doesn’t actually hurt anyone. It’s not been acceptable since the 1960s. This is how “Great” our country is. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/12 "2019-02-07T16:23:57Z")
Having worn a blackface isn’t in and of itself disqualifying. It’s disturbing but not disqualifying. People do say and do dumb and insensitive things when they’re younger, but if people want their apologies to be taken seriously, then they need to own up to them and express candor and contrition, and explain how they’ve changed. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/13 "2019-02-07T16:25:43Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Nobody gets hurt by another person’s makeup. A few years ago, there was nothing offensive about this. 10 years ago I was teaching in a school in Virginia and there was an annual event where the 6th graders dressed up as figures from American history. Often white kids dressed as black historical figures. Nobody ever even suggested that there was anything strange or offensive about it. Nobody remarked on it at all. This sounds like the people who say “No one had an issue with me giving random female coworkers backrubs in the 70’s!” Yeah, it was definitely offensive a few years ago. This isn’t new. Could it be that you just weren’t around anybody who would be offended, or that those who were weren’t comfortable speaking up about it? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/14 "2019-02-07T16:29:43Z")
Even when it was more widely accepted, it was still controversial. George Jessel turned down the lead role in _The Jazz Singer_ because he refused to do blackface. In 1927. But then Bing Crosby did it in _Holiday Inn_ in 1942. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/15 "2019-02-07T16:38:04Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > I would argue instead that it DOES favor that narrative. Democrats are policing their own for racism whereas Republicans excuse it and move on. So you’re saying that somebody can deliberately commit racist acts without being racist. It’s fascinating to see how far you’ll go to avoid admitting that the Democratic Party has problems with racism. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/16 "2019-02-07T16:40:16Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > So you’re saying that somebody can deliberately commit racist acts without being racist. > > It’s fascinating to see how far you’ll go to avoid admitting that the Democratic Party has problems with racism. I cannot fathom how this follows from what you quoted. Are you sure you quoted the right post? What on earth in what you quoted can be interpreted this way? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/17 "2019-02-07T16:40:18Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Hmm. I’m not sure about that. Acceptance of systemic racism has harmed people in ways both subtle and gross for generations. A broken leg is - hopefully - over within a few months. I thought we were talking about wearing blackface once (or more?) in college. Is that now synonymous with “acceptance of systemic racism”? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/18 "2019-02-07T16:40:27Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > So you’re saying that somebody can deliberately commit racist acts without being racist. > > It’s fascinating to see how far you’ll go to avoid admitting that the Democratic Party has problems with racism. Of course the Democratic party has problems with racism. America has problems with racism. The Democratic party is also trying to combat their problems with racism, and expel the current racists and educate/discipline/reform their past racists. The Republican party also has a problem with racism, but is pretty much doing nothing significant to combat it, and even continuing to celebrate and support prominent members who have said and done racist things. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/19 "2019-02-07T16:50:09Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Nobody gets hurt by another person’s makeup. A few years ago, there was nothing offensive about this. 10 years ago I was teaching in a school in Virginia and there was an annual event where the 6th graders dressed up as figures from American history. Often white kids dressed as black historical figures. Nobody ever even suggested that there was anything strange or offensive about it. There’s blackface and then there’s [blackface](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface). And, at least in the U.S., the kind that isn’t overtly racist has been tainted by association with the kind that is. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101/20 "2019-02-07T17:48:55Z")
A little Onion comic relief: > **[Ralph Northam Admits He Once Engaged In Pedophilia As Part Of Michael Jackson...](https://www.theonion.com/ralph-northam-admits-he-once-engaged-in-pedophilia-as-p-1832405275)** > > RICHMOND, VA—Apologizing profusely for his youthful indiscretions, embattled Virginia governor Ralph Northam admitted Wednesday that he once engaged in pedophilia as part of a Michael Jackson costume. “I think it’s important to put my actions into... “Ralph Northam admitted Wednesday that he once engaged in pedophilia as part of a Michael Jackson costume.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-which-white-virginia-politicians-didnt-wear-blackface-in-college/829101.md?page=2)