Lessons From Virginia

The night of the 2017 election when Ralph Northam was elected Governor of Virginia, he contended, "Virginia has told us to end the divisiveness, that we will not condone hatred and bigotry and to end the politics that have torn this country apart. It's going to take a 'doctor' to heal our differences." A recent racist photograph from Governor Northam's medical yearbook page, however, has recently resurfaced and speaks otherwise. The photograph shows a man in a KKK costume and another, allegedly Northam, in blackface.

Governor Northam continues to deny that he is the man in blackface. He has given a length of excuses, including the one he gave during the Richmond news conference last weekend. He claimed that he would "remember" taking the picture because he remembered the time he dressed as Michael Jackson for a dance contest and wore blackface, which he did by wearing shoe polish to darken his face. Once and for all - it's never okay to wear blackface, not now, not in medical school, not ever. I fail to see why we keep rehashing this debate—there isn't a debate, it's simply wrong. Further, recounting another time he wore blackface to dismiss wearing blackface is the worst explanation he could have given. In 1984, I too was a Michael Jackson fan. I owned a "Beat It" jacket, glove, and the "parachute" pants that I would wear as I tried moonwalking like Michael Jackson. However, the key difference between the Governor and I was the blackface, and I never even thought about it, because it's just common sense and decency not to do that.

There have been widespread calls for his resignation, including from within the Democratic Party, but Governor Northam remains resolute and refuses to take responsibility for the scandal. National Democrats have firmly asserted that they cannot support a figure associated with signs of bigotry and racism. Furthermore, this controversy could affect the next two years he has left in office, as well as the 2021 Virginia Governor's race. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, as well as Representative Robert Scott, revealed in a statement, "We no longer believe he can effectively serve as the governor of Virginia and that he must resign," and they are absolutely right.

Despite the political turmoil that he has surged in Virginia, Governor Northam refuses to resign. He seems to be steering toward the idea of casting his naivety as a part of the past. However, this discussion should not and cannot be a "teachable moment" for the Governor of Virginia because he fails to assume responsibility for his actions. Rather, this controversy highlights a "Faulkner moment" as the author's quote goes, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." This photograph is a part of someone's embarrassing and shameful present where he refuses to take responsibility for it. You don't get to use something as a "teachable moment" from your past when you continue to refuse responsibility for it. We are living in a time where we must criticize those government officials and Presidents who won't take responsibility for anything. How can he hope to heal America in the future when it was, he who damaged it in the past? Think about this question, and ponder because we cannot let elected officials and politicians get away with deplorable actions simply because they happened in the past.

This is not a debate about redemption for his past because Governor Northam continues to obfuscate and deny responsibility. He should resign immediately, and then the "healing" can finally begin.