On Friday, February 1, a picture of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s (D) 1984 yearbook page from Eastern Virginia Medical School circulated through the media. The image contains a photo of two individuals, one in blackface and the other dressed as a member of the KKK, grinning at a camera and holding beer cans. Since the image was first released on Friday, Northam has released a statement apologizing for the image and admitting that he is in the photo. Saturday afternoon, Northam held a press conference, CNN reports that Northam stated, “I am not the person in that uniform, and I am not the person to the right” (CNN). Northam did admit to wearing shoe polish on his cheeks that same year, 1984, for a dance contest where he appeared as Michael Jackson. In the past five years, Northam is just one of many political leaders who has turned out to not be who their voters believed them to be.
Figures from both political parties and Virginia citizens are calling for Northam to resign. Those who have been most outspoken are Democrats after the party’s 2020 presidential nomination, such as Kamala Harris and Corey Booker. Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, and Terry McAuliffe, all possible 2020 Democratic candidates, have also stated that Northam should resign. The Virginia Democratic Party, Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, and Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, have reacted to the image and pushed for resignation. Whether or not Northam resigns and how the rest of this situation transpires, there is already indications of a shift in what our country expects of its leader’s character. The days where sexist whispers under breath, racist costumes, and homophobic remarks are swept under a rug, are numbered.
The 2016 election spurred a surge in hypervigilant media and citizens, with candidates on both sides of the aisle being fact-checked and called out in a continuous news and social media cycle. Past discrepancies, comments, tapes, medical histories, eating habits, and everything else that you could get on a person were pulled out. With Trump’s presidency, the power behind the surge has only grown. Young activists and citizens have joined the fight, bringing more vigor and energy because it is their future that is at risk the most—it’s our future we are fighting for. The outcries against Northam by presidential hopefuls shouldn’t be surprising, as they are in part responding to the anger and hurt being felt by the young people who will soon be voting in the presidential election.
For every blatantly racist Northam photo there is 27 women being sworn in Congress. Each offensive, ignorant Trump tweet can be countered with a fierce Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweet or Instagram story that reflects transparency and change. Progress in America is becoming less of a two steps forward, one step back game. With Baby Boomers declining and Gen Z beginning to sharpen their political beliefs, US political figures are starting to reflect what their upcoming base believes. The Pew Research Center’s data on Gen Z proves that we are more open to social trends, less skeptical about climate change, and see diversity as a positive for society (Pew). The 2020 election will be the first presidential election most Gen Z members can vote in, meaning a shake up in the political system could very well happen. So Gen Z, continue holding those in office accountable and don’t stop fighting for what you believe—America is listening.
Cover Image Source: https://unsplash.com/
Gifs Source: giphy.com