>>> WHEN MY STAFF SHOWED ME THE PHOTO IN QUESTION YESTERDAY, I
WAS SEEING IT FOR THE FIRST
TIME.
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 BELIEVE THEN AND NOW THAT
I AM NOT EITHER OF THE PEOPLE IN
THAT PHOTO.
THAT PHOTO. >> THERE YOU HAVE IT.
THE GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA RALPH
NORTHAM THERE ADDRESSING THE
MEDIA MOMENTS AGO FROM THE
EXECUTIVE MANSION IN RICHMOND,
DENYING THAT HE WAS THE PERSON
SEEN IN A RACIST PHOTO THERE
FROM HIS YEARBOOK UNDER HIS NAME
BACK IN 1984.
LET’S BRING IN THE NAACP CEO AND
PRESIDENT DERECK JOHNSON JOINING
US.
US. YOU HAD A TWEET EARLY ON SAYING
BLACK FACE IN ANY MANNER IS
ALWAYS RACIST AND NEVER OKAY.
YOU LISTENED TO THE GOVERNOR
THERE TRYING TO DEFEND HIMSELF
AND DENYING WHAT HE THOUGHT
MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED BACK IN 1984
AND YOU THINK WHAT?
>> I THINK, YOU KNOW, OUR
POSITION IS THE SAME.
HE SHOULD RESIGN OF THE WHETHER
THAT WAS HIM IN BLACK FACE OR HE
WAS AT THE PARTY OR IN THE ROOM
OR THE FACT THAT HE JUST
ADMITTED HE WAS IN BLACK FACE
DOING A MICHAEL JACKSON
IMPERSONATION, ALL OF THOSE
THINGS ARE INSENSITIVE.
BLACK FACE IN 1984 WAS RACIST
THEN AND IT IS RACIST NOW AND IF
HE’S UNABLE TO SEE THAT, HE’S
NOT FIT TO TRULY LEAD THE STATE
OF VIRGINIA IF HE’S THAT TONE
DEAF.
DEAF. >> WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF HIS
EXPLANATION ITSELF?
EXPLANATION ITSELF? HE SAID THAT IT TOOK HIM SOME
TIME TO LOOK AT THAT PHOTO AND
REALIZE THAT IT WAS NOT HIM AND
THAT IT WAS NOT HIM IN THE HOOD.
HOW BELIEVABLE DID YOU FIND HIS
STATEMENT?
STATEMENT? >> I THINK THE POINT IS MOOT
WHETHER IT WAS HIM IN THE HOOD
OR NOT.
OR NOT. THE FACT THAT THAT PHOTO EXISTED
IN A MEDICAL SCHOOL YEARBOOK ON
HIS PAGE IS A PROBLEM.
THE FACT THAT HE DID NOT OBJECT
TO A BLACK FACE OR SOMEONE IN A
CLANS HOOD IN HIS YEARBOOK IS A
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. I DON’T THINK THERE’S NO WAY YOU
CAN SPIN THIS TO SAY THAT, WELL,
IT WASN’T ME THEREFORE IT’S
OKAY.
OKAY. NONE OF THIS IS OKAY.
I WAS IN THE TENTH GRADE IN
1984.
1984. I KNOW WHAT BLACK -- I KNOW WHAT
BLACK FACE MEANT TO
AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN 1984.
IT WAS OFFENSIVE.
IT WAS DEHUMANIZING.
IT WAS A CHARACTER AT WHICH THEY
WOULD PORTRAY AFRICAN-AMERICANs
IN A VERY NEGATIVE LIGHT.
IF HE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THAT AS
A 25-YEAR-OLD MEDICAL STUDENT,
THEN WE HAD A PROBLEM THEN WITH
HIM AND WE HAVE A PROBLEM NOW IF
HE CANNOT ACCEPT THE FACT THAT
IT’S WRONG NO MATTER HOW YOU
SLICE THE CAKE.
>> CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU’RE
ADDRESSING SOMETHING LIKE THIS
IN 2019 DURING BLACK HISTORY
MONTH?
MONTH? >> CONSIDERING THE MOST RECENT
EVENTS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS,
UNFORTUNATELY, I CAN BELIEVE IT.
YOU THINK ABOUT CHARLOTTESVILLE.
YOU THINK ABOUT KENTUCKY.
YOU THINK ABOUT PITTSBURGH.
YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT JUST
HAPPENED TO JUSSIE SMOLLETT IN
CHICAGO.
CHICAGO. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE RACISM
GERMINATING FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
AND AS A RESULT OF THE TONE OF
INTOLERANCE THAT’S BEEN
ESTABLISHED BY THIS NATION BOTH
IN WORDS AND IN POLICY WE HAVE A
PROBLEM AND I CAN BELIEVE IT.
>> WE HAVEN’T HEARD ANYTHING
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE ITSELF OR
THE PRESIDENT WHO HAS BEEN
TRAVELING THROUGH MAR-A-LAGO AND
HE WENT GOLFING TODAY WE’RE TOLD
WITH TIGER WOODS.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THE
PRESIDENT TO SAY ABOUT THIS?
OBVIOUSLY, I’M NOT SURE IF YOU
CAN HEAR ME, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE
THE PRESIDENT TO SAY, DERECK,
ABOUT THIS KNOWING THAT IT’S NOT
A MEMBER OF HIS PARTY, WHAT
WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE
WHITE HOUSE?
WHITE HOUSE? >> QUITE FRANKLY, I WISH THE
PRESIDENT WOULD RESIGN.
HERE’S AN INDIVIDUAL WHO TOOK
CHILDREN FROM THEIR PARENTS AT
THE BORDER.
THE BORDER. HERE’S AN INDIVIDUAL WHO TOOK
FOOD OFF THE TABLE OVER A BORDER
WALL WE DON’T NEED.
HERE’S AN INDIVIDUAL WHO SET A
TONE OF INTOLERANCE.
I DON’T KNOW IF THERE’S ANYTHING
THE PRESIDENT CAN SAY.
I CAN LIST MULTIPLE THINGS HE
CAN DO.
CAN DO. RACISM IS NOT ABOUT COMMENTS,
IT’S ABOUT PUBLIC POLICY.
IT’S ABOUT THE IMPACT YOU HAVE
ON INDIVIDUAL LIVES.
IF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES WANT TO LEAN IN, HE NEEDS
TO LEAN IN WITH A SET OF POLICY
PRIORITIES THAT REFLECT THE NEED
AND INTEREST OF ALL AMERICAN AND
NOT JUST A NARROW GROUP OF
INDIVIDUALS WHO TRULY DO NOT
REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF
AMERICAN CITIZENS, BLACK OR
WHITE OR LATINO.
>> WE HAVE HEARD SOME BIPARTISAN
CALLS FOR RALPH NORTHAM TO
RESIGN.
RESIGN. WE’LL SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT.