# Virginia gov. yearbook page has Klan and blackface pictures **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 1, 2019, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809 "2019-02-01T22:05:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 23
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/441 "2019-02-09T23:59:37Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > It’s pretty much the same split as Democrats polled but I think it does show that black Virginians aren’t especially angry about this. > > As I said upthread, I don’t think he should resign over this. He’s got ten years of public life to judge him on and one stupid move from 30 years ago shouldn’t trump that. What’s most interesting is that African Americans are on average **less** likely than Democrats to support his ouster. Only by 3 points, but still. There’s a danger for white folks who want to oppose racism that we’ll focus on the wrong things–focusing, for example, on the symbolic over the pragmatic. It seems pretty obvious to me that white folks should be taking their lead from black folks on how to respond to dumbassery like Northam’s. This helps clarify what that lead would look like. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/442 "2019-02-10T00:10:00Z")
Well, as someone said- we do want to get more black faces into higher office… but not quite like this. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/443 "2019-02-10T00:10:46Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > There’s a danger for white folks who want to oppose racism that we’ll focus on the wrong things–focusing, for example, on the symbolic over the pragmatic. That’s for damn sure. That’s why what asahi got warned/noted for was so damn obnoxious. He mocked the idea that Northam should be judged by his actual legislative career rather than this 30 yr old picture. Yes, asahi. Yearbook pictures are more important than stuff that actually matters. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/444 "2019-02-10T01:13:08Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > . It seems pretty obvious to me that white folks should be taking their lead from black folks on how to respond to dumbassery like Northam’s. This helps clarify what that lead would look like. When you say “black folks” do you include politicians? Because they have almost exclusively called for him to resign. So are black politicians completely out of touch with regular black folks? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/445 "2019-02-10T01:46:31Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > When you say “black folks” do you include politicians? Because they have almost exclusively called for him to resign. So are black politicians completely out of touch with regular black folks? I’d love to see some numbers on: -Black politicians who have called for him to resign -Black politicians who have called for him to stay in office; and -Black politicians who have kept mum, figuring this wasn’t worth getting involved in. I suspect the last group is pretty big, but I dunno. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/446 "2019-02-10T03:26:38Z")
Those black politicians calling on Northampton to resign: The entire Virginia legislative black caucus The nation’s and Virginia’s first black governor: Douglas Wilder Former Atty general, Eric Holder Sen. Kamala Harris NAACP president Derrick Johnson Rep. Bobby Scott ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/447 "2019-02-10T05:23:20Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Those black politicians calling on Northampton to resign: > > The entire Virginia legislative black caucus > The nation’s and Virginia’s first black governor: Douglas Wilder > Former Atty general, Eric Holder > Sen. Kamala Harris > NAACP president Derrick Johnson > Rep. Bobby Scott IMHO, since no crime has been committed and the whole question is whether he can govern Virginia, only Virginians’ calls to resign matter much. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/448 "2019-02-10T06:59:24Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Those black politicians calling on Northampton to resign: > > The entire Virginia legislative black caucus > … = 17 people, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/449 "2019-02-10T09:44:00Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > But the interesting part is that a very solid majority of black Virginians want him to stay in office. Like the old saying goes, “Better the Dr. Coonman you know…” ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/450 "2019-02-10T20:25:28Z")
> [@Royal\_Nonesutch](#): > > Like the old saying goes, “Better the Dr. Coonman you know…” Wow. Really? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/451 "2019-02-10T21:11:39Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Those black politicians calling on Northampton to resign: > > The entire Virginia legislative black caucus > The nation’s and Virginia’s first black governor: Douglas Wilder > Former Atty general, Eric Holder > Sen. Kamala Harris > NAACP president Derrick Johnson > Rep. Bobby Scott I mean, yeah, it’s interesting. I don’t understand the reason for the difference between “All the Virginia legislative black caucus say to resign” and “only a little more than a third of black Virginians want him to resign.” But the difference is there, and we should be looking at it. Just as blackface’s impact is largely symbolic, it’s possible the caucus’s calls for resignation are largely symbolic. Maybe they know he’s unlikely to resign, but want him to recognize what thin ice he’s on. Or maybe the poll was taken at a different point during this clusterfuck of a news story than the caucus’s call was made. I dunno. It’s interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/452 "2019-02-10T21:56:21Z")
> [@Gov. Ralph Northam](#): > > Virginia needs someone that can heal. There’s no better person to do that than a doctor. Virginia also needs someone who is strong, who has empathy, who has courage and who has a moral compass. And that’s why I’m not going anywhere. > **[Possible impeachment could further upend Virginia politics](https://apnews.com/general-news-46f93a03c59740938ed521eb92b81cc6)** > > Virginia lawmakers face the unprecedented prospect of impeachment as they struggle to address revelations of past racist behavior and allegations of sexual assault in the highest levels of power. ---
**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 10, 2019, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/453 "2019-02-10T23:33:56Z")
You know who’s better at healing racial divides than a doctor? _Someone who doesn’t think it’s funny to dress in blackface with a KKK member_ ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/454 "2019-02-10T23:38:18Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > _Someone who doesn’t think it’s funny to dress in blackface with a KKK member_ Do you think that accurately describes Ralph Northam right now? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/455 "2019-02-11T02:59:48Z")
> [@Royal\_Nonesutch](#): > > Like the old saying goes, “Better the Dr. Coonman you know…” Dropping a racial slur (even if anti-white and even if originally spoken/written by the subject of the thread) does nothing to move the discussion forward. Do not do this again. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/456 "2019-02-11T14:59:22Z")
:eek: Just to make things really easy on him, the Governor yesterday referred on a news talk program to the first slaves brought to Virginia as “indentured servants”. ---
**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 11, 2019, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/457 "2019-02-11T15:11:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Snowboarder Bo** : > > Do you think that accurately describes Ralph Northam right now? He’s given no reason to think otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Inbred\_Mm\_domesticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/aca169/32.png) [@Inbred\_Mm\_domesticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inbred_Mm_domesticus)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/458 "2019-02-11T15:18:42Z")
Indentured servants? I’d bet he believes the Civil War was about States’ Rights and calls it the War of Northern Aggression. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/459 "2019-02-11T15:21:27Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > :eek: Just to make things really easy on him, the Governor yesterday referred on a news talk program to the first slaves brought to Virginia as “indentured servants”. To quote Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > In 1619, the first documented Africans came to Jamestown—about 50 men, women, and children aboard a Portuguese slave ship that had been captured in the West Indies and brought to the Jamestown region. They most likely worked in the tobacco fields **as indentured servants**. The modern conception of slavery in the United States was formalized in 1640 (the John Punch hearing) and was fully entrenched in Virginia by 1660. Bolding mine. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/460 "2019-02-11T15:31:22Z")
> [@Inbred\_Mm\_domesticus](#): > > Indentured servants? I’d bet he believes the Civil War was about States’ Rights and calls it the War of Northern Aggression. He’s technically correct, apparently, but that was a pretty dumb thing to say. > [@](#): > > That same year [1619], the first Africans (around 50 men, women and children) arrived in the English settlement; they had been on a Portuguese slave ship captured in the West Indies and brought to the Jamestown region. They worked as indentured servants at first (the race-based slavery system developed in North America in the 1680s) and were most likely put to work picking tobacco. > **[Jamestown Colony - Facts, Founding, Pocahontas | HISTORY](https://www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/jamestown)** > > The Jamestown Colony was the first permanent English settlement in North America. It was founded on the banks of Virginia's James River in 1607. Eta: ninja’d! He did acknowledge that in the interview: > [@](#): > > Well, it has been a difficult week,” Northam said. “And — and, you know, if you look at Virginia’s history we’re now at the 400-year anniversary, just 90 miles from here in 1619 the first indentured servants from Africa landed on our shores in Old Point Comfort, what we call now Fort Monroe.” > > CBS interviewer Gayle King interjected: “Also known as slavery.” > > “Yes,” Northam said. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809.md?page=24)