Northam, KKK, Memory Loss and Kavanaugh

AROUNDTHE BLOCK

I learned today…

I learned today that there’s more to Virginia governor Ralph Northam’s medical school yearbook controversy than meets the eye.

As widely reported, Northam’s page in the 1984 Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) yearbook had an image of two men, one in blackface, the other donning a KKK hood. While it was unclear who the people in costume are, Northam’s office quickly released a statement from the governor apologizing for the photograph and confirming he is one of the people pictured.

“Earlier today, a website published a photograph of me from my 1984 medical school yearbook in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive. I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now.”

Later in the weekend, Northam changed his story:

"I believe now and then that I am not either of the people in this photo," Northam said, denying that he had ever worn a KKK robe and hood or been drunk enough to forget a moment like this. "This was not me in that picture. That was not Ralph Northam."

In a further search of the EVMS yearbook in question, various news outlets have uncovered several other racist and/or misogynist photographs.

On the page opposite Northam’s there’s a photo of three men in blackface.

Another photo in the same yearbook shows one of the men wearing a wig and black paint on his face. 

At least one other blackface photo appears in the 1984 yearbook, with a caption referencing a song by the Supremes: “ ‘Baby Love,’ who ever thought Diana Ross would make it to Medical School!”, while in another picture, a student gropes an unclothed mannequin: The caption reads, “I try never to divulge my true feelings while examining my patients.” 

While the controversy rages on – Will he resign? Does he deserve another chance? Should he seek help from a Memory Clinic? – questions abound about the school, it’s policies and it’s graduates. Was everyone in the class of 1984 like Northam?

Perhaps everyone except Tobin S. Nadorf, whose page has a photos of his parents and his wife or girlfriend and a shout-out to his parents thanking them for “all their support and encouragement.”

But I digress – back to Ralph Northam.

Given the storm over the photo, another aspect of Northam’s yearbook page has gone unnoticed, his quote:

“There are more old drunks than old doctors in the world, so I think I’ll have another beer.”

As of this writing, it is still unclear whether Northam will resign or try to weather the storm. And there is no confirmation of the story circulating in Washington DC that if Northam does resign, President Trump, in the grand tradition of Brett Kavanaugh, intends to nominate him to the open position of chairman of the Equal Opportunity Commission.