Gov. Northam on Yearbook Blackface: ‘I Am a Better Person’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT CAPEHART So ░░░░░░░░ as I listened to ░░░░░░░░ in that answer and ░░░░░░░░ listened to your language ░░░░░░░░ whistle diversity is our ░░░░░░░░ The language you re ░░░░░░░░ is language that I ░░░░░░░░ a lot of people ░░░░░░░░ t expect you to ░░░░░░░░ using given what you ░░░░░░░░ call the year book ░░░░░░░░ And that is an ░░░░░░░░ where there is a ░░░░░░░░ on your 1984 medical ░░░░░░░░ year book page of ░░░░░░░░ in blackface and someone ░░░░░░░░ a Ku Klux Klan ░░░░░░░░ And as you know ░░░░░░░░ am one of the ░░░░░░░░ people who called on ░░░░░░░░ demanded that you resign ░░░░░░░░ you didn t And ░░░░░░░░ recently wrote a piece ░░░░░░░░ why I forgive you ░░░░░░░░ you talk about what ░░░░░░░░ learned from that experience ░░░░░░░░ happened sort of halfway ░░░░░░░░ your term NORTHAM Well ░░░░░░░░ was a very very ░░░░░░░░ time for Virginia and ░░░░░░░░ was a lot of ░░░░░░░░ because of that And ░░░░░░░░ that I regret putting ░░░░░░░░ through that I also ░░░░░░░░ saw it as an ░░░░░░░░ for me to listen ░░░░░░░░ people I committed myself ░░░░░░░░ our cabinet secretaries to ░░░░░░░░ deal with the inequities ░░░░░░░░ to listen and to ░░░░░░░░ and as I ve ░░░░░░░░ the more I know ░░░░░░░░ more I can do ░░░░░░░░ we ve really been ░░░░░░░░ to turn a lot ░░░░░░░░ what we learned into ░░░░░░░░ Now again a lot ░░░░░░░░ different areas At the ░░░░░░░░ of the day it ░░░░░░░░ a hurtful time I ░░░░░░░░ glad Virginians stuck with ░░░░░░░░ I can tell you ░░░░░░░░ am a better person ░░░░░░░░ certainly understand racial issues ░░░░░░░░ better than I did ░░░░░░░░ to that episode and ░░░░░░░░ really think Virginia more ░░░░░░░░ is a better commonwealth ░░░░░░░░ commonwealth that is more ░░░░░░░░ more inclusive and really ░░░░░░░░ to people And as ░░░░░░░░ like to remind people ░░░░░░░░ society is becoming more ░░░░░░░░ every day and that ░░░░░░░░ a good thing And ░░░░░░░░ will continue to go ░░░░░░░░ that direction So Virginia ░░░░░░░░ to embrace that diversity ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ able to move forward ░░░░░░░░ we need to be ░░░░░░░░ to treat people right ░░░░░░░░ s the right thing ░░░░░░░░ do and it s ░░░░░░░░ good for business And ░░░░░░░░ think it s a ░░░░░░░░ we have seen we ░░░░░░░░ treat people right We ░░░░░░░░ be a progressive commonwealth ░░░░░░░░ at the same time ░░░░░░░░ can have a robust ░░░░░░░░ CAPEHART Governor I m ░░░░░░░░ to throw some words ░░░░░░░░ at you and this ░░░░░░░░ a mantra that you ░░░░░░░░ been saying over the ░░░░░░░░ three years Actually as ░░░░░░░░ told us on the ░░░░░░░░ board at the Washington ░░░░░░░░ this is what you ░░░░░░░░ to teach medical students ░░░░░░░░ residents the eyes can ░░░░░░░░ see what the brain ░░░░░░░░ t know How did ░░░░░░░░ go about learning about ░░░░░░░░ race in America our ░░░░░░░░ s fraught racial history ░░░░░░░░ did you go about ░░░░░░░░ that and then using ░░░░░░░░ language to actually make ░░░░░░░░ change in the commonwealth ░░░░░░░░ Yes The first thing ░░░░░░░░ would say I listened ░░░░░░░░ traveled around the commonwealth ░░░░░░░░ am just so appreciative ░░░░░░░░ people were willing to ░░░░░░░░ and have what were ░░░░░░░░ very difficult discussions And ░░░░░░░░ I really learned a ░░░░░░░░ and from whether it ░░░░░░░░ from access to education ░░░░░░░░ to business opportunities access ░░░░░░░░ health care I learned ░░░░░░░░ will the lot I ░░░░░░░░ a lot Jonathan One ░░░░░░░░ the documentaries I read ░░░░░░░░ 13th that put things ░░░░░░░░ perspective for me If ░░░░░░░░ is interested and wants ░░░░░░░░ learn more about systemic ░░░░░░░░ and especially black oppression ░░░░░░░░ would encourage them to ░░░░░░░░ that because a lot ░░░░░░░░ people that look like ░░░░░░░░ Jonathan they think that ░░░░░░░░ oppression ended when slavery ░░░░░░░░ but it didn t ░░░░░░░░ then had mass resistance ░░░░░░░░ incarceration Jim Crow the ░░░░░░░░ brutality in Minneapolis Black ░░░░░░░░ exists today It is ░░░░░░░░ and well here as ░░░░░░░░ speak in 2022 just ░░░░░░░░ a different form And ░░░░░░░░ is very important I ░░░░░░░░ for people like me ░░░░░░░░ are comfortable to talk ░░░░░░░░ that The burden has ░░░░░░░░ been on people of ░░░░░░░░ to talk about that ░░░░░░░░ and I think we ░░░░░░░░ all in this together ░░░░░░░░ I think people that ░░░░░░░░ like me need to ░░░░░░░░ a better job of ░░░░░░░░ CAPEHART Amen to that ░░░░░░░░ Northam You didn t ░░░░░░░░ on yourself so I ░░░░░░░░ going to brag on ░░░░░░░░ talking to you You ░░░░░░░░ the death penalty in ░░░░░░░░ You raised the threshold ░░░░░░░░ 500 to 1 000 ░░░░░░░░ felony larceny you abolished ░░░░░░░░ suspension of driver s ░░░░░░░░ over unpaid court fees ░░░░░░░░ fines and you legalized ░░░░░░░░ marijuana use All of ░░░░░░░░ things you did in ░░░░░░░░ one term as governor ░░░░░░░░ all of those things ░░░░░░░░ beneficial to all of ░░░░░░░░ citizens in the commonwealth ░░░░░░░░ Virginia they all have ░░░░░░░░ disproportionate impact on Virginians ░░░░░░░░ that governor Ralph Northam ░░░░░░░░ say thank you and ░░░░░░░░ you for coming to ░░░░░░░░ Sunday show.”