# 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:** 8
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/141 "2019-02-02T18:49:09Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Not sure that’ll help him prove that he’s not the guy wearing the Klan hood. Not even “enhance”? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LhF_56SxrGk/maxresdefault.jpg "Let's Enhance HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhF_56SxrGk) ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/142 "2019-02-02T18:54:29Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > The “Coonman” nickname was in his VMI undergrad yearbook; the blackface/KKK pic was in his med school yearbook. > > ‘Coon’ was of course another derogatory term for an African-American person, like ‘n\*\*\*\*r.’ In fact the character that the person in the photo is dressed as was known as " the dandified coon". In real blackface genre. Why do people want to know which is him? Which would be better or worse? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/143 "2019-02-02T19:02:00Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > He could say “some of my best Lt Governors are African American”. > > It’s hard to chalk this up to youthful indiscretion. This was the reasoning skills of an adult in medical school in 1984. This is how he wanted to be remembered. Unless it was from a stage play on the evils of racism I can’t imagine how he can explain this. > > He didn’t just shoot himself in the foot politically he cast a shadow over his medical career. …and that’s why I think Trump and Steve King, at least, should resign. –Not Magiver ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/144 "2019-02-02T19:06:09Z")
> [@Ancient\_Erudite](#): > > One thing I never quite understood is why the Democrats tolerated the presence of Senator Robert Byrd, a known KKK Man as a Democratic Senator. Perhaps because the governor at times in West Virginia was a Republican and could pick his replacement? > > If the Lt. Governor happened to be a Republican, it would be fascinating to see the responses here. > > The photo is a hideous disgrace. He should step down immediately. …and that’s why I think Donald Trump and Steve King, at least, should resign. –Not Ancient Erudite ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/145 "2019-02-02T19:27:27Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > That’s not the relevant number. Sometimes it seems that there is indeed a shortage of people who desire power _and can be trusted with it_. Right, and it is up to the public to determine if they can be trusted. The public should make an informed decision. Having this out there informs the public. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/146 "2019-02-02T19:29:09Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Say what, now? If it wasn’t him, what earthly explanation can he offer for saying yesterday that it WAS him? Maybe his fixer is telling him to play this like Trump would. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/147 "2019-02-02T19:30:40Z")
The 1985 Northam and 2019 Northam are two different versions of the same person (presumably.) It’s not the 1985 high schooler Northam that is going to be making legislative, gubernatorial and political decisions; it’s the 2019 version. What someone has done in the past shouldn’t matter so much as who they are today. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/148 "2019-02-02T19:33:35Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > The 1985 Northam and 2019 Northam are two different versions of the same person (presumably.) It’s not the 1985 high schooler Northam that is going to be making legislative, gubernatorial and political decisions; it’s the 2019 version. > What someone has done in the past shouldn’t matter so much as who they are today. 1985 Medical School Student in his mid-20s Northam. ---
**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 2, 2019, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/149 "2019-02-02T19:35:20Z")
That is right at the fucking edge, Rittersport. EVERYONE LISTEN UP. This thread is on best behavior status. Any shot at another poster - any at all - will lead to sanction. And I’m not talking mod notes, here. I hope that’s clear. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/150 "2019-02-02T19:36:31Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > It’s not the 1985 high schooler Northam that is going to be making legislative, gubernatorial and political decisions As has been noted already several times in this thread, in 1985, Northam was not a high schooler. He was 24 or 25 years old, and he was a college graduate, and in medical school. ---
**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 2, 2019, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/151 "2019-02-02T19:38:40Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Say what, now? If it wasn’t him, what earthly explanation can he offer for saying yesterday that it WAS him? … I’ll tell you one thing, if it wasn’t me in a picture like that you can believe I’d be screaming it from the first accusation. Also, I’d want to know back then what the fuck it was doing on my yearbook page. ---
**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 2, 2019, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/152 "2019-02-02T19:45:47Z")
What’s amazing is that it hadn’t been leaked before. Any of his old classmates must have kept on old yearbook laying around somewhere, and I’m sure some of them remembered the photo - that image is kinda hard to un-see and forget. Northam’s career in politics has pretty much coincided with the social media age, so it’s remarkable that he made it this far without being exposed already. I guess it’s only in the past few months that his profile has been big enough for his opponents to care. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/153 "2019-02-02T19:46:48Z")
So, he put on blackface at a dance party some other time, which is why he can now clearly remember that he is not one of the guys in that photo. Does that count as an alibi? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/154 "2019-02-02T19:47:02Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > The 1985 Northam and 2019 Northam are two different versions of the same person (presumably.) It’s not **the 1985 high schooler Northam** that is going to be making legislative, gubernatorial and political decisions; it’s the 2019 version. Nitpick: 1984 medical schooler. Born in 1959. Aged 24 when that yearbook was released. ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/155 "2019-02-02T19:48:03Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > So, he put on blackface at a dance party some other time, which is why he can now clearly remember that he is not one of the guys in that photo. > > Does that count as an alibi? What else can he say after his admission yesterday, really? Edit: So he had never seen or knew about this photo until now. Hmm. Edit 2: He described the “coonman” moniker as simply two individuals who referred to him that way and he has no idea why. ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/156 "2019-02-02T19:58:46Z")
Someobody is claiming he said, “I vividly don’t remember…” If that’s true (I didn’t hear it), that’s a great line. All this aside, his true best line was “That is not who I am.” Which is true. He’s obviously not a racist. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/157 "2019-02-02T20:17:32Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Nitpick: 1984 medical schooler. Born in 1959. Aged 24 when that yearbook was released. Ok, my bad. I was off. ---
**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 2, 2019, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/158 "2019-02-02T20:23:27Z")
Wait a minute, let’s give this guy a chance to explain himself. Maybe he was in Maryland at the time at a party with Squee lifting weights and drinking beer! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/159 "2019-02-02T20:26:40Z")
Speaking of ‘off,’ I was sure wrong about him resigning today! What a fucking nightmare for Virginia Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809/160 "2019-02-02T20:28:10Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Say what, now? If it wasn’t him, what earthly explanation can he offer for saying yesterday that it WAS him? I was originally in the “having worn an outrageously offensive costume at a party 35 years ago isn’t necessarily so damning that he should resign” camp, but the way he’s handling this has been so bizarre and weasely that it seems to say a lot about his character _today_. This is the issue I have with his response and he dodged the question several times. If he only dressed with shoe polish makeup one single time in the Michael Jackson dance contest, then why yesterday did he say it was him or did he think it could have possibly been him? Why wouldn’t after five minutes of thought say that no, it wasn’t him? However, I agree with you that even if it was him so long ago it isn’t a reason to resign. But, I have learned something today. It is offensive if a white person is dressing as a black person for Halloween or some other such informal party, to use dark makeup to get in character? Why is that? I’m not talking about a black minstrel face with the ruby red giant lipstick type of character. I understand that is offensive. But a white person now in 2019 simply cannot portray a black person at these informal gatherings? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virginia-gov-yearbook-page-has-klan-and-blackface-pictures/828809.md?page=9)