Ralph Northam

Beyond blackface: How college yearbooks captured protest and change

by John R. Thelin

College yearbook editors in the 1960s juxtaposed pictures of traditional campus activities, such as Greek Life, alongside images of protests and marches.

Old Yearbook Photo Shows Tennessee Governor Dressed as Confederate Soldier

The governor’s statement comes as racially insensitive photographs in old yearbooks have increasingly raised demands for accountability and explanation from the prominent individuals associated with them.

Video of the Week: Ibram X. Kendi on Surviving Cancer & His Anti-Racist Reading List for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam

And the legacy of Frederick Douglass on his 201st birthday.

The lengthy history of white politicians wearing blackface — and getting a pass

The history of blackface in American politics is wide and deep, frequently creating little more than a ripple of outrage for the mayors, state legislators and gubernatorial candidates caught on camera darkening their skin and caricaturing black people.

The ‘Loyal Slave’ Photo That Explains the Northam Scandal

by Kevin M. Levin

The governor’s yearbook picture, like many images before it, reinforces the belief that blacks are content in their oppression.

Ibram X. Kendi: A Reading List for Ralph Northam

by Ibram X. Kendi

"Here’s my own anti-racist reading list for Northam and my fellow Americans who are truly awakening after their own blackface moment. It is for people realizing they were taught by their relatives and friends and the media how to be racist."

Historians challenge Northam’s ‘indentured servants’ remark

Featuring historians Rebecca Goetz and Michael Guasco. 

About a third of Americans say blackface in a Halloween costume is acceptable at least sometimes

The survey was conducted almost entirely before news broke about Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and other high-profile politicians who have been accused of wearing blackface as part of costumes when they were younger.

Historians on The Books Ralph Northam Should Read To Better Understand Racism

Featuring Annette Gordon-Reed, Eric Foner, Caroline Janney, Grace Hale, Stephanie Smallwood, Sarah Milov and many others!

Peter Wallenstein Talks About Why White Supremacy “Must Die and Yet Will Not Die”

Professor Peter Wallenstein explains how the present mess in Virginia connects to the state’s past.

Why Won’t Blackface Go Away? It’s Part of America’s Troubled Cultural Legacy

by Wil Haygood

For more than 180 years, racist stereotypes have been used to entertain.

A Racial Reckoning for Democratic Leaders in Virginia

by Jelani Cobb

In disavowing his yearbook photo but admitting to wearing blackface on another occasion, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam implies that he is being castigated for the wrong instance of minstrelsy.

Why we keep looking at the Northam photo

by Johnathon Zimmerman

Because we all know — in our hearts — that racism is America’s original sin. 

Video of the Week 1: Rhae Lynn Barnes on the History of Blackface and the Virginia Racism Scandal

Americans Must Face Violent History of Blackface Amid Virginia Gov. Racist Photo Scandal

Eric Lott on Ralph Northam and the History of Blackface

by Isaac Chotiner

In an interview, Eric Lott discusses the subject of blackface and its historical role in American politics, culture, and racism.

Why it’s shocking to look back at med school yearbooks from decades ago

by Elizabeth Evans

They offer jaw-dropping examples of the sexism and racism that shaped professional cultures.

A Complicated Racial History Underpins Politics In Virginia

The controversies rocking Richmond are a reminder of the complicated racial history that underpins Virginia politics.

Virginia is the birthplace of American slavery and segregation — and it still can’t escape that legacy

Four hundred years after the first enslaved Africans were brought to the United States, the commonwealth reckons with the consequences of the system it created.

What Historians Are Saying: Ralph Northam, Blackface, and the KKK

Historians contextualized the Virginia governor's yearbook photos--and had a lot to say. 

The History of Blackface

Blackface isn't just about painting one's skin darker or putting on a costume. It invokes a racist and painful history.