Black leaders, Republicans protest governor's northern Virginia visit; Northam retreats
By Nathaniel Cline, ncline@loudountimes.com Apr 15, 2019 Updated 5 hrs ago
https://www.loudountimes.com/news/b...cle_aaa7bdee-5f98-11e9-97d6-efa90bf97740.html
Leaders in northern Virginia's black community remain outraged after Gov. Ralph Northam admitted to wearing blackface decades ago, and their distaste showed at a protest outside of a campaign kickoff event Sunday.
The Fairfax County protest led to Northam canceling a scheduled fundraising visit.
In the two months since the blackface scandal that nearly led to Northam being forced out of office, the Democratic governor has attempted to make amends through numerous apologies, restoring civil rights to more than 10,000 Virginians, signing legislation to establish the African American Advisory Board and vetoing legislation to restrict voting right access.
But Loudoun County and northern Virginia African American leaders haven't forgotten the picture that appeared in Northam's 1984 medical school yearbook – one that featured one person dressed up in a Ku Klux Klan uniform and another wearing blackface. The governor at first apologized for being in the photo, but he then said he does not believe either of the people in the picture are him. Northam did, however, say he wore blackface to imitate Michael Jackson in a dance contest in the 1980s.
“If you can’t step down, then step up in the way you fight for Medicaid expansion and health care and [the Equal Rights Amendment],” Loudoun County NAACP President Michelle Thomas told the Times-Mirror.
Northam was scheduled to visit Burke Sunday for one of his first public events in the region – a campaign kickoff party for state Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37th).
But Northam’s appearance was canceled due to “safety concerns,” according to a campaign official.
Protesters from the Fairfax and Loudoun County NAACP branches and the Republican Party of Virginia eclipsed the number of the campaign guests inside the Ponds Community Center event.
"The fact he didn’t show up was a huge win, and I think it shows the power of the people is still with us, and we still have a chance to get him out,” Fairfax County NAACP President Kofi Annan said.
Republican Party of Virginia Executive Director John Findlay added, “I really do believe us and the Fairfax NAACP coming out, protesting this led to him not showing up. We have the best volunteers anywhere. We’re thankful for them dedicating their time. This just shows the passion on our side.”
Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, where Northam received his degree, is expected to complete an investigation reviewing its past yearbooks soon.
Northam’s disapproval rating has more than doubled since December, from 24 percent to 49 percent, according to a recent survey of registered voters by the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University. Asked if Northam should resign, a majority – 52 percent – said he should stay in office. Still, nearly 30 percent of Democrats said he should resign.
“Just a reminder to anyone thinking about bringing Gov. Northam to Loudoun County for a campaign event: We will be there to remind you and him that there is zero tolerance for racism,” the past Loudoun County NAACP president, Phillip Thompson, said in email to local politicians. “By the way, most of the people who showed up to attend Sen. Marsden’s event were white. First, what does that look like for the Democratic Party? Second, how was the governor going to address racial reconciliation in a room full of white people?"
The Loudoun and Fairfax chapters of the NAACP haven't backtracked on their calls for Northam's resignation.
“We don’t believe him, and that doesn’t make any sense,” Annan, the Fairfax NAACP president, said. “It’s almost an insult to our intelligence that anyone in their right mind would admit to something like that if they weren’t engaged in that type of behavior. I think the average person would immediately look at the picture with a Klan member and know they weren’t in there, but for him to admit it was him and then obviously we don’t buy the second story at all.”
Thomas, who hopes for some kind of resolution soon, doubts Northam will resign.
“Since he is not going to step down, then we must demand that he step up,” Thomas said. “Gov. Northam: Step up in your policy making, step up on your stance on African American heritage and education, step up on your support for African American historic preservation, step up in policy for criminal justice reform, for hate crime bills and legislature that will protect all people from being targeted for domestic terrorism.”
Thomas said she, along with a delegation from Loudoun, wants to meet with Northam soon. She hopes the governor will invest in the Loudoun Freedom Center – a relatively new nonprofit that Thomas founded to preserve, protect and promote African American history.
United States Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who visited Loudoun for a public safety awards ceremony on Friday, spoke to the Times-Mirror about the issue. Warner in February called for Northam’s resignation, but he has since backed off that position.
“I think the governor is going to stay, and what I think he’s got to do is to get out and try to re-earn the trust of Virginians,” Warner said. “I think he’s started down that path, but I think my only advice to him is the more he gets out, the more he can make his case and the more he can show he is going to try and deal with disparity issues in our commonwealth, I think the better.”
Protesters showed up in Burke ahead of Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam’s planned visit to a campaign kickoff party for Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37th). Northam ended up canceling his visit. Loudoun County NAACP Past President Phillip Thompson was one of the guest speakers.
Times-Mirror/Nathaniel Cline
By Nathaniel Cline, ncline@loudountimes.com Apr 15, 2019 Updated 5 hrs ago
https://www.loudountimes.com/news/b...cle_aaa7bdee-5f98-11e9-97d6-efa90bf97740.html
Leaders in northern Virginia's black community remain outraged after Gov. Ralph Northam admitted to wearing blackface decades ago, and their distaste showed at a protest outside of a campaign kickoff event Sunday.
The Fairfax County protest led to Northam canceling a scheduled fundraising visit.
In the two months since the blackface scandal that nearly led to Northam being forced out of office, the Democratic governor has attempted to make amends through numerous apologies, restoring civil rights to more than 10,000 Virginians, signing legislation to establish the African American Advisory Board and vetoing legislation to restrict voting right access.
But Loudoun County and northern Virginia African American leaders haven't forgotten the picture that appeared in Northam's 1984 medical school yearbook – one that featured one person dressed up in a Ku Klux Klan uniform and another wearing blackface. The governor at first apologized for being in the photo, but he then said he does not believe either of the people in the picture are him. Northam did, however, say he wore blackface to imitate Michael Jackson in a dance contest in the 1980s.
“If you can’t step down, then step up in the way you fight for Medicaid expansion and health care and [the Equal Rights Amendment],” Loudoun County NAACP President Michelle Thomas told the Times-Mirror.
Northam was scheduled to visit Burke Sunday for one of his first public events in the region – a campaign kickoff party for state Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37th).
But Northam’s appearance was canceled due to “safety concerns,” according to a campaign official.
Protesters from the Fairfax and Loudoun County NAACP branches and the Republican Party of Virginia eclipsed the number of the campaign guests inside the Ponds Community Center event.
"The fact he didn’t show up was a huge win, and I think it shows the power of the people is still with us, and we still have a chance to get him out,” Fairfax County NAACP President Kofi Annan said.
Republican Party of Virginia Executive Director John Findlay added, “I really do believe us and the Fairfax NAACP coming out, protesting this led to him not showing up. We have the best volunteers anywhere. We’re thankful for them dedicating their time. This just shows the passion on our side.”
Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, where Northam received his degree, is expected to complete an investigation reviewing its past yearbooks soon.
Northam’s disapproval rating has more than doubled since December, from 24 percent to 49 percent, according to a recent survey of registered voters by the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University. Asked if Northam should resign, a majority – 52 percent – said he should stay in office. Still, nearly 30 percent of Democrats said he should resign.
“Just a reminder to anyone thinking about bringing Gov. Northam to Loudoun County for a campaign event: We will be there to remind you and him that there is zero tolerance for racism,” the past Loudoun County NAACP president, Phillip Thompson, said in email to local politicians. “By the way, most of the people who showed up to attend Sen. Marsden’s event were white. First, what does that look like for the Democratic Party? Second, how was the governor going to address racial reconciliation in a room full of white people?"
The Loudoun and Fairfax chapters of the NAACP haven't backtracked on their calls for Northam's resignation.
“We don’t believe him, and that doesn’t make any sense,” Annan, the Fairfax NAACP president, said. “It’s almost an insult to our intelligence that anyone in their right mind would admit to something like that if they weren’t engaged in that type of behavior. I think the average person would immediately look at the picture with a Klan member and know they weren’t in there, but for him to admit it was him and then obviously we don’t buy the second story at all.”
Thomas, who hopes for some kind of resolution soon, doubts Northam will resign.
“Since he is not going to step down, then we must demand that he step up,” Thomas said. “Gov. Northam: Step up in your policy making, step up on your stance on African American heritage and education, step up on your support for African American historic preservation, step up in policy for criminal justice reform, for hate crime bills and legislature that will protect all people from being targeted for domestic terrorism.”
Thomas said she, along with a delegation from Loudoun, wants to meet with Northam soon. She hopes the governor will invest in the Loudoun Freedom Center – a relatively new nonprofit that Thomas founded to preserve, protect and promote African American history.
United States Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who visited Loudoun for a public safety awards ceremony on Friday, spoke to the Times-Mirror about the issue. Warner in February called for Northam’s resignation, but he has since backed off that position.
“I think the governor is going to stay, and what I think he’s got to do is to get out and try to re-earn the trust of Virginians,” Warner said. “I think he’s started down that path, but I think my only advice to him is the more he gets out, the more he can make his case and the more he can show he is going to try and deal with disparity issues in our commonwealth, I think the better.”
Protesters showed up in Burke ahead of Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam’s planned visit to a campaign kickoff party for Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37th). Northam ended up canceling his visit. Loudoun County NAACP Past President Phillip Thompson was one of the guest speakers.
Times-Mirror/Nathaniel Cline
