Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam. Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Virginia Democrat Ralph Northam saw his governorship become a national embarrassment on Friday when an image emerged from his medical school yearbook page featuring a man in blackface and another in a KKK robe. Northam apologized for the racist photo, stating that it “is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for,” and promised to help “heal the damage this conduct has caused.” To state what should be extremely obvious, this apology is wildly insufficient. Northam should resign from office and retire from politics.


The photo in question would be inexcusable under any circumstance. It is grotesquely racist, a blithe invocation of the Klan coupled with a dehumanizing embrace of minstrelsy. But it is especially egregious in light of the fact that Northam was an adult when the picture was taken, likely around 25 years old. He found it amusing enough to include in his medical school yearbook—prominently, just above a Brett Kavanaugh-esque quote about alcohol. (“There are more old drunks than old doctors in this world so I think I’ll have another beer.”)

This photo is surely not an isolated incident. CBS reported that Northam’s yearbook at the Virginia Military Institute included multiple nicknames, one of which was “Coonman,” a racial epithet. Perhaps more evidence of his racist past will soon come to light. But the yearbook picture alone should be disqualifying. It reflects deep-rooted racism—not just poor judgment, not just a vile sense of humor, but ingrained bigotry. To stage a photo that mockingly invokes the KKK’s reign of brutality, its murderous crusade to slaughter and torture blacks while denying them their civil rights, is to revel in the cruelty of racial terrorism. This permanent stain on the nation, was, to Northam, a joke. A man who could take a picture like that—and conceal it for decades, then insist it’s not too late to atone when it’s discovered—is not a man who should hold public office.

The bitter irony of this scandal is that Northam ran for governor as the not-racist candidate in 2017. His Republican opponent, Ed Gillespie, ran ads designed to provoke fear of Hispanic immigrants and defended Confederate monuments. Northam triumphed as, above all else, a candidate of decency. It turns out that he is anything but. While Northam promoted tolerance on the campaign trail, he concealed his racist past, feigning a lifetime of quiet dignity and open-mindedness. It was more than a sin of omission; it was a lie. Voters deserved to know the truth. And now that it has been revealed, Northam thinks he can still “heal the damage”? It’s far too late for that. He deserves no one’s trust.

If there is any silver lining here, it is that if Northam steps down, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax will take his place, becoming the second black governor in Virginia history. Fairfax is an outspoken advocate of racial equality, and it would be gratifying to see him fill an office so often occupied by racists. (He could also, it seems, run again in 2021, unlike the term-limited Northam.) Democrats in the state legislature should join Republicans—who currently control both chambers—to demand Northam’s resignation. No one benefits from his continued service.


As of Friday evening, the NAACP has called on Northam to resign, as have presidential candidate Julián Castro and a number of other Democratic lawmakers. His most high-profile defender was Virginia Senate Minority Leader Richard L. Saslaw, a conservative Democrat who is currently fighting a progressive primary challenger. Any other Democratic legislators who defend Northam should be primaried, as well. There is no real room for debate here. It’s 2019. Racism should be disqualifying. Northam has to go.