A key black Virginia political leader Tuesday hit white Democrats for not moving quick enough to demand the resignation of Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam over a picture on his college yearbook page featuring a man in blackface next to another in a KKK robe.
Phyllis Randall, the chairwoman of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, said that she has been fielding calls from whites asking if it was OK to condemn Northam, who first admitted to being in the picture before changing his story to claim it’s not him.
At a board meeting Tuesday, she said that some white politicians lack courage.
“Democrats, when the governor of our state says that he was either in black face standing next to a klansman or in klans robe standing next to a black face you do not have to wait for black people to say it’s OK to call for his resignation,” said Randall.
I feel stunned at the confirmed photo of Governor Ralph Northam Yes it was 35 years ago and he’s regretful; but 1984 was not long ago, and there’s no way to believe that was acceptable. I strongly denounce and condemn that picture, NO person should defend it hard stop…PERIOD
— Phyllis Randall (@PRandallcares) February 1, 2019
“When you do that, that does not indicate that you are standing next to black people to be supportive, it indicates to me that you’re standing behind us to get cover,” she said.
“We’re not going to give out any profiles in courage for you all to find out what black people think before you speak out. That is just absolutely insulting,” said Randall, who added, “I am not your black people whisperer.”
Northam has refused to resign despite dozens of calls from Democrats, including from Randall.
In her scolding, she suggested that had Northam been a Republican, all Democrats would have immediately called for his resignation when he first said he was in the photo.
“The truth is were it a Republican, you’d be tearing down the walls, and if it’s a Democrat, we should do the same exact thing,” said Randall.
