We’re living in a current state of if we racially offend, we will be outed.. If we do so today, or did so last week, a month ago, our infraction will become public. Thank you social media, theage of high tech where we carry devices every where we go which allows us the ability to document everything under the sun.

What if we’re a public official or figure and we say or do something offensive twenty, thirty, forty years ago?Should we be accountable for it or can we get a pass because we were of a certain age of ignorance , naivete, youth?. What if we did , or said these things before the Age of Civil Rights? Should we then be absolved ?

For me, some of these issues are not Black and White. I’ve decided grey is my favorite color. What brought this on is the most recent News story on the issue, that of Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam. A photo of what is said to be him dressed in blackface, standing next to someone else dressed in a KKK costume appeared in his 1984 medical school yearbook. He denied it’s a photo of him but said he did appear in blackface when dressed as Michael Jackson. There has been an uproar from Black of note, Politicians, NAACP for him to resign

It was 30 some odd years ago that these pictures were taken.
 This is the same man who sits in Virginia’s Governor’s office? Northam says no. At first. The question continues , in my mind, is this the same man , from 1984, who thinks, feels the same as a young medical school student who believes it’s ok to dress in blackface and stand, smilin next to another young white man dressed as a member of the KKK? If so, how would he have been elected Democratic Governor  of a southern state, one that has a long and storied racial  history. The first documented slaves came to Virginia. Richmond was one of  the Union’s the busiest slave markets. There were concentrated legal efforts throughout ( Virginian) history to keep Blacks separate from Whites banning  interracial marriage in 1924  per the Racial Integrity Act of 1924, a law that again criminalized interracial marriage. Blacks were considered ‘less than’ and black blood was not to be mixed with white. Schools shut down, rather than integrate in 1956 and in one County schools were shut down until 1964 when the Supreme Court ordered them to re-open.And let’s not forget as recently as 2017 a young woman was killed in Charlottesville when White Supremacists marched and caused turbulence with protesters.

Upon googling Ralph Northam’s record on race issues and incidences I found nothing, only everything on this most recent uproar. He did receive a large percentage of the Black vote in Virginia in 2017 but those voters are now feeling betrayed.

While I read on and remind myself of Virginia’ past I am beginning to understand and feel less conflicted. But not completely , on  whether or not Northam should resign.
Why am I still feeling this way? I’m always first to say ‘ that’s not right, that’s racist’.when witnessing, watching online videos of, hearing of racist incidents, feeling I’m a victim of ingrained prejudices even in the liberal environment I live in. I’ve lived in this Liberal Mecca all my life, grown up in white neighborhoods, went to white schools, have had and still have mostly white friends, peers. I’m sure they all believe Northam should resign. I’m remain unsure.