A S THE ECONOMIST went to press, consumer-protection offices in Virginia had not yet announced plans to affix a sticker to every canister of shoe polish sold in the state reading “FOR FOOTWEAR, NOT FACES”. That the stuff should be used to brighten shoes rather than darken faces may seem obvious to most, but not to Ralph Northam and Mark Herring, respectively Virginia’s governor and attorney-general, both Democrats. Listen to this story Your browser does not support the element. Enjoy more audio and podcasts on iOS or Android. On February 1st, a website released Mr Northam’s page from his 1984 medical-school yearbook, on which a picture showed a man in blackface grinning next to a man in a Ku Klux Klan outfit. One of Mr Northam’s former classmates, angry at the governor’s clumsily worded defence of a bill loosening restrictions on abortion, reportedly alerted the website to the page. Over the next two days, Mr Northam provided an object lesson in how not to respond to a political crisis. Shortly after the picture emerged, he apologised for “the decision I made to appear as I did” (he did not say whether he was in Klan robes or blackface). During a surreal press conference he then said that in fact he was not in the picture, though he admitted to once having “darkened my face as part of a Michael Jackson costume.” He appeared ready, after a reporter’s question, to start moonwalking, until his wife leaned over and whispered: “in appropriate circumstances.” Democrats from Nancy Pelosi to Mr Herring have urged him to resign. He has so far resisted, and is reportedly considering leaving the Democratic Party and serving out the rest of his term (Virginia governors cannot run for a second consecutive term) as an independent. If he steps down, he will be replaced by Justin Fairfax, the 39-year-old, African-American lieutenant-governor, also a Democrat. But Mr Fairfax has problems of his own: Vanessa Tyson, a university professor, said he sexually assaulted her at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. Mr Fairfax admitted to knowing Ms Tyson, but said that she was “very much into a consensual encounter.” Ms Tyson said that he physically forced her to perform oral sex. Should Messrs Northam and Fairfax both resign, Mr Herring is next in line. But on February 6th, Mr Herring admitted that he too attended a party in wigs and blackface, “dressed like rappers we listened to at the time, like Kurtis Blow.” Mr Herring apologised profusely, and left open the possibility of resignation, but for the moment he too remains in office. If all three leave then Kirk Cox, the Republican House speaker of Virginia’s General Assembly, would become the state’s governor. Mr Cox holds the speakership because Republicans won a 51-49 majority in the lower House after the state’s board of elections drew a name out of a hat in a district where the Democratic and Republican candidates received exactly the same number of votes. Mr Cox, assuming he was never photographed in blackface, would then get to appoint a lieutenant-governor, and the Republican-controlled legislature would elect an attorney-general. Republicans, who have not won a statewide race in Virginias since 2009, are salivating at the prospect of claiming all three top posts. But as long as they line up behind a president whose record on race or groping is not exactly woke, their condemnations of Messrs Northam, Fairfax and Herring may ring a little bit hollow. Yet if the Democrats’ position is that doing something offensive while in university renders someone unfit to hold office, regardless of whether his attitudes and political views have since changed, they risk setting an impossible standard. Perhaps their current zeal mirrors the lack of it across the aisle: Democrats may feel that they must be less forgiving because Mr Trump has made the previously unsayable acceptable. Perhaps the three accused men have also taken a lesson from the president: that if they hunker down and withstand the outrage, the news cycle will eventually move on to fresher meat.<doc-sep>Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam denied being one of the people in racist photograph that appeared on a page devoted to him in his 1984 medical school yearbook. However, the Virginia governor did admit to using “a little bit of shoe polish” to darken his face that same year in an impersonation of pop singer Michael Jackson. During a Saturday afternoon press conference, Northam again apologized to Virginians for not doing more to ensure the picture did not appear on his page, but vehemently denied being in the photograph. WATCH: “Yesterday I took responsibility for content that appeared on my page in the Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook that was clearly racist and offensive,” said Northam. “I am not and will not excuse the content of the photo. It was offensive, racist, and despicable. When my staff showed me the photo in question yesterday, I was seeing it for the first time. I did not purchase the EVMS yearbook and I was unaware of what was on my page.” When I was confronted with the images yesterday, I was appalled that they appeared on my page, but I believed then and now that I am not either of the people in that photo. I stand by my statement of apology to the many Virginians who were hurt by seeing this content on a yearbook page that belongs to me. It is disgusting. It is offensive. It is racist, and it was my responsibility to recognize and prevent it from being published in the first place. I recognize that many people will find this difficult to believe. The photo appears with others I submitted, on a page with my name on it. Even in my own statement yesterday, I conceded that, based on the evidence presented to me at the time, the most likely explanation, that it was indeed me in the photo. In the hours since I made my statement yesterday, I reflected with my family and classmates from the time and affirmed my conclusion that I am not the person in that photo. Northam continued attempting to explain himself while acknowledging that “many people will find this difficult to believe.” The Virginia governor then described a time when he did darken his face “as part of a Michael Jackson costume” and said it was an example of why he “truly” does not believe he is in the yearbook picture. While I did not appear in this photo, I am not surprised by its appearance in the EVMSs yearbook. In the place and time where I grew up, many actions that we rightfully recognize as abhorrent today were commonplace. My belief that I did not wear that costume or attend that party stems in part from my clear memory of other mistakes I made in the same period of my life. That same year, I did participate in a dance contest in San Antonio in which I darkened my face as part of a Michael Jackson costume. I look back now and regret that I did not understand the harmful legacy of an action like that. It is because my memory of that episode is so vivid that I truly do not believe I am in the picture in my yearbook. You remember these things. During a later question and answer segment, Northam responded to a reporter’s question about the nickname “Coonman” by stating that while “two individuals” called him by that nickname, he had no idea why. (RELATED: Northam Reportedly Calling State Democrats To Deny It Was Him In Picture) He also elaborated on his Michael Jackson impersonation in another response: I dressed up in a Michael Jackson [outfit]. I had the shoes. I had a glove, and I used just a little bit of shoe polish to put on my cheeks, and the reason I used just a very little bit is that you cannot get show polish off. It was a dance contest. I had always liked Michael Jackson. I actually won the contest because I had learned how to do the moonwalk. Northam later expressed his belief that “there was an agenda involved” in the photo coming to light. Follow Scott on Twitter<doc-sep>CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Virginia is for lovers and Democrat Governors who moonwalk themselves into a deep hole addressing racist photos on their yearbook page. During his Saturday press conference, Governor Ralph Northam did not resign over a photo on his yearbook page showing a man in blackface standing next to someone in a KKK hood and robes. Instead, Northam was resigned to trying to rehabilitate his reputation by changing his story on the racist photo, giving advice on applying blackface shoe polish, and being on the verge of demonstrating his moonwalking abilities. A day after Northam had acknowledge being one of the two people in the photo, Northam announced he did not believe he was in the photo and suggested it was put on his page by mistake. How did Northam know shoe polish was hard to remove? Northam's press conference was a trainwreck. The most damaging and incriminating part of it was when he described dressing as Michael Jackson in blackface, the same year of the yearbook photo, and giving advice on applying shoe polish. Northam tried to explain that he didn't believe he was in the photo because he didn't remember it and had remembered being in blackface for a Michael Jackson contest. "My belief that I did not wear that costume or attend that party stems in part from my clear memory of others mistakes that I made in the same period of my life. That same year, I did participate in a dance contest in San Antonio in which I darkened my face as part of a Michael Jackson costume. I had the shoes, I had the glove and I used just a little bit of shoe polish to put under, or on my cheeks. The reason I used a very little bit is because, I don't know if anybody ever tried that, but you cannot get shoe polish off." How did Northam know "you cannot get shoe polish off"? Maybe because earlier that year he covered his face with it posing with the person in the KKK robes? Or was he in the KKK robes and his friend in blackface told him how hard it was to remove? Northam went on to say that he won the moonwalking contest and was about to demonstrate his winning moves when his wife stopped him. Another reason Northam should resign is that his judgement is so bad he needed his wife to tell him it's inappropriate to moonwalk during a damage control press conference over a racist blackface/KKK photo. Yearbook staffer: photos submitted in sealed envelopes with student's name Northam's suggestion that the photo was put on his page by mistake is being refuted by a yearbook staffer. William Elwood, a yearbook staff page designer told Virginia ABC affiliate WHSV that each student submitted the photos they wanted to appear on their own page. "They chose their own pictures, they were submitted in a sealed envelope with their name on them, and the only time that envelope was opened was when the layout was done on their page. "In my personal knowledge and the people I knew that were working on the staff, we went through great pains to make sure that there was not a mix up. To my knowledge nobody complained that their picture ended up on a different page. "My understanding is that on another page there was another group of students that had dressed up like the Supremes and were in blackface and it was in the yearbook. So I don't think that anybody thought of that as a significant problem back then," said Elwood. "Back then" was 1984, not 1864 or 1964. Jesse Jackson was running for president. Michael Jackson was on top of the music charts, not Al Jolson in blackface. Northam and his classmates were not teenagers in 1984. He was a 25 year-old medical student. Even worse than the blackface, was dressing in a KKK robes. The KKK is a terrorist organization that has lynched African-Americans, murdered white civil rights workers, bombed churches, terrorizing Americans for generations. Eastern Virginia Medical College is expected to hold a press conference this afternoon to address the controversy over the yearbook photos. Provost Richard Homan hired a law firm to investigate how such a racist picture got published. He established a community advisory group to look at the EVM campus culture. Northam has resisted the bipartisan chorus of calls for him to resign. He has called on his Cabinet and advisors to give him time and space to rehabilitate his image because he fears if he resigns he'll be known as a 'racist for life.' In his response to the controversy, Northam has demonstrated he doesn't have the judgement, credibility and support to effectively continue to serve as Governor or in any elected office. Out of office he'll still have an opportunity to take actions to help ensure he won't be known as a "racist for life." As a one-time moonwalk contest winner, Governor Northam should heed the advice of one of Michael Jackson's big hits and "just beat it, beat it..."<doc-sep>Shutterstock At a press conference on Saturday, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, a Democrat, attempted to clarify his role in a 1984 photograph that was said to show him wearing blackface while standing next to a person dressed in a Ku Klux Klan robe. The apology was, in many ways, worse than the accused offense. On the previous Friday, Governor Northam admitted to appearing in the offensive photograph that appeared on his 1984 medical school yearbook page. In part, Northam stated he was sorry for "the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now." On Saturday, after studying the picture more closely, the Governor contradicted his Friday confession stating that he was not in the photograph. The Governor seemed to be completely clueless as to the irrelevancy of whether he was in “that particular” photograph. The fact that it took Northam overnight to conclude the photo was not him strongly suggests that he had dressed in blackface on other occasions, and, most likely, had been in the presence of people dressed as Ku Klux Clowns. In fact, during the press conference, Northam admitted to having worn blackface in the past but attempted to justify it stating it was part of his costume to compete in a Michael Jackson dance contest. Michael Jackson had many signature fashion statements, from his dazzling white gloves, beautiful Fedora hats, and stunning jackets. The one thing that would not resemble Michael Jackson is blackface. Jackson was widely suspected to have suffered with the disorder vitiligo, that eliminates pigment from the skin, thereby making it appear to be bleached. Shutterstock It is difficult to understand how Northam’s blackface of Jackson was anything more than a racist insult, consistent with the origins of that hurtful practice in minstrel shows of mid-19th century. In fact, the Governor is so clueless about the sensitivity of the subject he was discussing, that for a moment, he seemed to be preparing to Moonwalk in response to a reporter’s question as to whether Northam could still dance. The Governor was spared further embarrassment, and everyone watching more dismay, when Northam’s wife interrupted him stating, abruptly, that would be inappropriate. Northam further shared that he would have worn more shoe polish but observed that shoe polish is hard to get off your face. The Governor attempted to justify his actions by stating that in 1984, wearing blackface was common, even though that was decades after the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education and passage of the Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, Fair Housing Act and many other laws intended to remove the vestiges of racial discrimination from American society. The staggering wealth gap between non-Hispanic Whites and Blacks has its roots directly in the biased actions of individuals who continue to discriminate against Blacks for the simple reason that within their social and business networks, discrimination is commonplace. Although many of the most prominent members of the Democratic party have denounced and urged Governor Northam to resign, Northam isn’t the only one who has shoe polish on his hands. Shutterstock Those who helped Northam become Governor, including the Democratic Party of Virginia, his campaign consultants, and former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe (who played a large role in Northam’s election) need to let Virginia voters know if they were aware of Northam’s blackface history and racist background. This is particularly important for McAuliffe, since he recently indicated his interest to run for President in 2020. In an interview with McAuliffe, Jake Tapper points out that Northam was further referred to as “Goose, Coon Man,” in his 1981 Virginia Military Institute collage yearbook. Coon is “used as an insulting and contemptuous term for a black person.” He then asked McAuliffe whether he feels Northam is a racist. McAuliffe stated he has “zero indication of that.” Instead, McAuliffe stated that Northam is a “good, moral, decent man.” Yet if Northam’s wearing blackface, having the nickname Coon Man, and needing to study a photo overnight to determine whether he is the person in an image standing beside an individual draped in Ku Klux Klan garb, does not offer McAuliffe insight into whether Northam is a racist, what would? Black households, in particular, that voted strongly for Northam, deserve to know who else around Northam knew what and when. Northam received more than 80 percent of votes in Black neighborhoods. Having a Northam-type mishap occur at the presidential level could be catastrophic to the Democratic party. Blacks are essential to a Democratic presidential victory, constituting as much as 20 percent of the Democratic electorate. Getting Governor Northam out of office appears to be a priority for Democratic party leaders. Explaining to Virginia voters, particularly Black voters, how someone with Northam’s unacceptable background could rise so far in the party, should also be a priority.<doc-sep>
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam denied on Saturday that he was one of the two individuals in a yearbook photograph showing one person in blackface and another wearing a Ku Klux Klan robe. Northam was sure, he said, because he'd remembered darkening his face on another occasion in his 20s. During his Saturday news conference to address the growing controversy over the racist photograph, which was listed beneath his name in the 1984 Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook, Northam detailed using shoe polish to make his face darker during a dance contest where he dressed up as Michael Jackson. "My belief that I did not wear that costume or attend that party stems in part from my clear memory of other mistakes that I made in the same period of my life," Northam explained. "That same year, I did participate in a dance contest in San Antonio in which I darkened my face as part of a Michael Jackson costume." Northam said looking back, he regretted "that I did not understand the harmful legacy of an action like that" and added he spoke with a friend, a person of color named Seth, about his actions and why they were so hurtful. He was asked specifically about this event and Northam detailed using polish to make his face darker and winning the contest. "I had the shoes, I had a glove and I used just a little bit of shoe polish to put under, or on my cheeks," Northam said, using his fingers to show where he smeared the polish on his face. "The reason I used a very little bit is because, I don't know if anybody has ever tried that, but you cannot get shoe polish off." He went on to say that he won the dance contest in San Antonio, Texas, because of his moonwalking skills. Later, a reporter asked him about the contest and whether he could still do the moonwalk. Northam looked around as though he might demonstrate, smiled and then was cut off by his wife who told him it was "inappropriate circumstances." More:Virginia's governor won't resign over blackface, KKK photo. What's next? More:Biden, NAACP, more: Calls for Gov. Ralph Northam to resign persist for second day Northam used the news conference to say he would not resign despite demands from a growing chorus of prominent Republicans and Democrats. He also rescinded an earlier apology where he acknowledged he was one of the two people in the 1984 photo, instead now claiming that he'd never seen the yearbook or that specific photo before it was publicized on Friday. While making a denial that he noted many voters in Virginia may not believe, the admission that Northam had darkened his face in the past on a different occasion did not sit well with many. Immediately after the news conference was over, Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez issued a statement calling for Northam's ousting. "It's time for Ralph Northam to step aside and let Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax serve Virginians as their next Governor," he said in a statement. The calls to resign came from leaders of his own state as well. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both former Virginia governors, released a statement along with U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., after watching Northam's press conference Saturday: “We called Governor Northam to tell him that we no longer believe he can effectively serve as Governor of Virginia and that he must resign. The events of the past 24 hours have inflicted immense pain and irrevocably broken the trust Virginians must have in their leaders.” Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton called on lawmakers in the state to remove him from office and said his "excuse" about dressing up as Michael Jackson showed his "mentality" toward the issue. "I think he further damaged himself," Sharpton said on MSNBC. "And since he loves Michael, he should go back to the mansion and play 'Beat It' and start packing."