Ralph Northam Blackface Yearbook Photo Controversy

Overview

Ralph Northam Blackface Yearbook Photo Controversy refers to a yearbook photograph allegedly showing Democratic Governor Ralph Northam wearing a blackface costume while standing next to an unidentified man wearing a KKK Klansman costume.

Background

On February 1st, 2019, the political news site Big League Politics^[1] published an article titled "Yearbook: Ralph Northan in Blackface & KKK Photo," which presented a picture from a page in an Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook, featuring a photograph of a man wearing blackface next to a man in a Klansman costume under the name "Ralph Shearer Northam" (shown below).

Developments

Ralph Northam's Statements

That day, Northam apologized for the photograph, referring to it as "clearly racist and offensive" and that he was "sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo."^[4] Hours later, Northam released a video responding to the controversy, in which he apologized for his past behavior (shown below). Within 72 hours, the video gained over 1.77 million views.

On February 2nd, Northan held a press conference where he denied he was pictured in the photograph but admitted to darkening his face while costuming as Michael Jackson (shown below).

Eastern Virginia Medical School's Response

That day, the Associated Press published an article about the controversy, which included a statement from an Eastern Virginia Medical School spokesperson who confirmed that "the picture in question does appear in a 1984 student-produced publication."^[3]

Online Reactions

Also on February 1st, NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson posted a tweet^[2] calling for Northam's resignation (shown below). Within 72 hours, the tweet gathered more than 18,100 likes and 4,300 retweets. Meanwhile, the photo was denounced by numerous officials and politicians, with many calling for Northam to resign.

On February 2nd, a screenshot of a CNN chyron mistakenly labeling Northan as a "Republican" began circulating online (shown below).

Mitch McConnell Confederate Flag Photo

Also on February 2nd, Twitter user @CVoellinger^[5] tweeted a photograph of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell posing with a Confederate flag in a thread about the blackface photograph (shown below).

Search Interest

External References