The Transformation of Ralph Northam

The Daily

The New York Times

Daily News, News

4.4 • 102.8K Ratings

🗓️ 17 June 2021

⏱️ 22 minutes

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Summary

In 2019, it seemed to many that Gov. Ralph Northam’s career was over. That year, the Democratic governor of Virginia became embroiled in a highly publicized blackface scandal centered on a racist picture in his medical-school yearbook. There were widespread calls for his resignation. Two years later, Mr. Northam has emerged as the most racially progressive leader in the state’s history. How did it happen? Guest: Astead W. Herndon, a national political reporter for The New York Times.

Transcript

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0:00.0	From New York Times, I'm Michael Bavaro. This is Adali.
0:10.0	Two years after facing calls to resign over a racist image,
0:14.0	the Democratic governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, has instead
0:19.0	emerged as the most racially progressive leader in the state's history.
0:24.0	Today, Sabrina Tabernese spoke with our colleague,
0:29.0	Astid Hurned, about how that happened.
0:44.0	It's Thursday, June 17th.
0:51.0	I said, tell me why you became interested in this story,
0:54.0	in the story of Ralph Northam.
0:56.0	Well, in 2019, I was really looking at the state of Virginia
1:00.0	and thinking, what in the world is going on?
1:05.0	All right, what is going on in Virginia?
1:08.0	The state was thrown into chaos when it came out that
1:11.0	governor Ralph Northam wore blackface in the 80s.
1:17.0	The governor, who it was discovered on his medical school yearbook page,
1:22.0	had a really racist photograph.
1:24.0	The picture shows two people. You can see it right there,
1:27.0	one in blackface, and another in a Ku Klux Klan robe and a hood.
1:31.0	A man in blackface, then another man in a KKK costume.
1:35.0	Just a short time ago, the governor admitting one of those men is him.
1:39.0	And the governor said, initially, to the Wads' him,
1:42.0	then flip flopped the next day and said he doesn't think it was him.
	...

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