From New York Times, I Michael borrow. This is real, Two years after facing calls to resign over a racist image. The Democrats the governor of Virginia Ralph Northanger has instead as the most recently progressive leader in the states stream. Today, Sabrina taverns, he spoke with our colleague a state Herndon about how that happen. it's Thursday June. Seventeen, I said tell me why you became interested in this story in the story of

north em, both in twenty nineteen. I was really looking at the state of Virginia and thinking what in the world going on What is going on in Virginia, the state was thrown into chaos when it came out that governor nothin wore black face in the eightys, the governor, who, it was discovered on his medical school year, but paid really races photograph. The picture shows to people. You can see it right there, one in black, face another in a coup, plugs clan robe and and in black face than another man in a k, K, K, costume, a short time ago, the governor admitting one of those men is him and the governor said initially to the bless him than flit flopped next day and set it doesn't take. It was him I am not the person and that photos, but he did wear black face on another time that same year I did participate.

in a dance context in which a dark in my face is part of a Michael Jackson, faster and it was a lot of cars for him to resign. I think you should resign. Immediate should resign. I think he's shown himself set of irreparably damaged and of his ability to govern and governor thumb survive. This now, but in a whole, bunch of other stuff happens, They too, just a Fairfax lieutenant governor facing to accusations sexual solve the person who would have been next in line if wrath north them had stepped down the lieutenant governor he was accused of sexual assault by two women in this period, though he does those allegations he's hanging in the air right now as well, and then you had the attorney general, who would have been third in line also a Democrat voluntarily.

they ve wore black face at a party in the nineteen. Eighty two states top three lawmakers now facing separate scandals of hell, they're all interconnected. So I think my reaction they get New York at the time was what was in the water in Virginia and more interestingly enough, how come all these people are? Three of them stayed in office interesting. I remember that series of very strange news item, starting with north, I'm thinking what what what what happened- and I raiment him saying he wasn't going to leave and then it seemed like the story just kind of faded away right all the national level it did you had the technocratic party that was obviously in the middle of a presidential primary and the election of your by then, and that was where the attention was on a national level, but you know, I think it's part of covering that is also following. Happening in the states, and I was seeing of Virginia that certainly look differently than before. The scandal.

do you like the com a blow Do a freshly declare today November that the two thousand and nineteen Virginia is virtually blow congrats. Your life In November of twenty nineteen Democrats became the budget, already in both houses of the state legislate. giving them really expanded political possibilities in the state that they ve never had before. And then you also had an administration that kept pudding race and racial progress at the forefront of priorities, governor RAP, nor them sign into law. Sweeping police reform bills this week. That will also exe and the grounds to decertify officers who commit misconduct limit the use of neck restrains in. energize training requirements, they Dublin or some got on board with a movement to remove

we have a number of confederate statues and monuments generations ago, Virginia made the decision not to celebrate unity but to our the calls of division symbols matter. two and Virginia has never been willing to deal with some has until now, and I think the last piece me was the abolition of the death penalty that happened in Virginia the first day in the south. To do so when one looks at the history close to fourteen hundred individuals have been, execute the great majority of those individuals were afghan, where we executed more people than any other state and its. This is our time to write that wrong He was someone who is Let it not really yes, a progressive, but as a kind of tried and true southern cone, more conservative democratic,

and yet and really leaned into issues of race and identity before twenty nineteen and so was, forefront on my mind that after the inauguration of the national elections were over, then it could be a good time to check in with the north, from scandal of twenty nineteen. How did it change this person, who clearly was thought to be politically debt? So I went to Virginia, and I talked to the governor, office. So instead, what does he say just kind of initially as a fact checking families may shorts that, as you said at the time, you stood over being either the folks at his eye. In the interview, the governor reiterates that he does not believed if he is either man and the races photograph on his yearbook page, but he did wear black face in a previous into that at a party around the same time. He also stay

that his main goal after the news broke was to convince his black staff to stick by him and also he made a pitch to elected officials across the state, particularly the black elected officials, that, if they stuck by him, he would show the he's a changed. Man and those new priorities will be reflected in his administration. I understand What's going on at. I know why these people are hurting and, and I'm committed to listening and learning and then having the deposit, if you will to really make some significant changes, and so that's really the approach that I took so I never haven't you, as you may remember,

Rarely have, I said I can do for people in a more far reaching a horse with me. It Ralph dorglums telling the way that the scandal Change SAM starts on the inside. That's a moment of embarrassment caused personal growth. That then was reflected in his administrations priorities. One of my browser was in it raised, go right, And signing legislation to get rid of that, and if you look at the history of that and and I saw another example of what happened in february- I'm not sure if my eyes would have been open to the point where I went back and looked at the history and how many people of color have been executed in and and why

it was with the news we could nitrates and whether the access of access to education, access to business opportunities, we all know. This is full of racism and oppression. The. They were in front of my rain, know about my first, that eyes and brain mine no February tat brought together Lou covered, but I wanted to ask him how much of this is also about politics? How much of this is about him repaying a black community that stuck by him at his dark is time. Someone tell me today that the policy has paid

is that? What you think of other wandered around incredible things? I think a good policy from all. This has been a dream amber alert. Things would not have happened if we didn't have the majority in the House and the Senate in. So why don't want to take all the credit for that, but this has been a team effort and it's been an effort. We're not again. I've sat down with you

We do all that, I'm out anyone who is also the people around him. They make very clear that he has taken this period of growth very seriously, but he has really made his mission to to learn about what he says. He was ignorant of the history of race and racism before this scandal, but for a lot of black leaders in the state whether they were elected officials or whether they were activists differently concerned with how true his growth personally is. This was a moment of opportunity. There was a win. In which the governor was asking you. What can I do for you and they decided that they were going to seize on that we'll be right back

So I said you said some of the black waiters in Virginia Saudis scandal with northern as an opportunity. What do you mean by that? One of the people I talk to about? That was one of his hey, I'm paying co chairs from when Ralph Norton originally ran for governor and her name is Marcy a price. I gotta get for the knowledge at district butcher, arts of improving, converging she's member of what is functionally the House of representatives for the State of Virginia and she really put her credibility on the line to help get nor thumb elected and what was a competitive, democratic primary. So she was going across the state with kind of ESA Liaison two black vote.

Cows and community leaders back when he was an Lee running to be governor he had gone into intimate spaces. Where then, you know my network when we were running for election and she said that, would she found About the photo scandal she was crushed the moment TAT the story broke. I was in office talking with my concerns and must bear- and why we asked for them to their bow and I cried like a cod the initial reaction with her a jail. the deal, a bad she has This initial reaction, then what did she do when she went home to her district? As this was going on? It became very clear to her that the feeling among the black Virginians she was representing was way more diverse and nuance than the feelings that we're happy

on the national level that we can never weekends after people were common up to me and making sure I knew how they even bad. You know where they were we should push him how oil Dolly that man alone, and I take this as an opportunity, and so I heard things, but that was back then, who, if he knew it, was not excuse bad behavior. It was an understanding on their part now, speaking for myself, but understanding on their part that if you got five, would every white man they have done something that was questionable war that you didn't agree with. We couldn't get business You have to remember that we're talking about black people who have lived in the south for a long time, and that is a different type of racial landscape. So, while there are certainly people who saw that

dough and immediately wanted north them to resign. There are also people who have already kind of baked in the racism of White Americans in the south and didn't find it critically surprising, and some who didn't find logically invalidating how much have generation refugee or an emerging. So it is not surprising to most people in Virginia to hear of the black day. To hear of familiar connections to the train that wine is brave, try. This is where it started in some senses. You know, and it is not surprising that it took something huge for someone to realize. I have privilege. I need to learn more about the system that we are up against. All of it

you can see. I was important that all of these things happened at once. You had the additional scandals for his would be successors you had nor thumb pitching. What can I do for you and you had her listening to her constituents who are giving a more mixed nuance, reception, then the national pressure, and so what she says is that it became clear to her that the most strategic decision, the one that has the biggest upside for her constituents, is to take the governor up on that offer and to really try to use their sense of collective power. as black elected officials as the communities that stood by him in this moment to say. Ok, if we do that work and expect things down the lie down The opportunity to have further conversations and to work towards legislation that my district needed- and I wasn't your mother- it was strategic.

if he were in a position now for us to get something done dog from things down, I mean it is kind over a sad commentary that it would take a moment of racism to push but as a loyal group of democratic voters to the top of the priority list. But basically that's the decision they come too is to say, ok, he's pitching this specifically around policy and, where sick of being, taken seriously at that table, so maybe in this moment there's an alignment of values that doesn't often exist even within the democratic party. Definite. We can say you more listened to by the administration, since twenty nine thing- and I dont think death

happens thing, but I also think that that's really important from industry and then you look, you look at what got done if things just think of the black waters have been fighting for, You gotta me as well as though I don't think there that it should be taken is just we let it go. Were everything was just ass? It was. We have business and we had to do the business, or else we wouldn't have been living at the end of the bargain, have elected officials and just to know that I have a governor who listen age. When I talk about you know the voting right back, the Virginia. Why is still needed in twenty twenty watch and wipe Virginia can be in a different position in trajectory on voting rights in your torture taxes were you know, Arizona that has not happened thing that is bad real work.

From the ground real work with the advocates and legislators who stayed at the table because they knew they couldn T though she someone who's, had a long relationship with the governor, obviously from his campaign, all the way through and then at the moment of hurt when the scandal came out I was wondering how she viewed him now, even if she wasn't surprised- or she expects little when it comes to white Democrats after what he. done, does she consider him an ally to black communities? You mean you, don't call! everyone. An ally is Ralph Norka more about the common administration.

I am pleased with the progress that we have gone through twenty nine dream. Instead, what did you make of her answer? I think in its core. She shows the real pragmatism that black folders are forced to think about in a two party democratic system that the choices have often for black people in America, been between bad and worse, and for communities that have often not had the system work for them to cancel everyone who has done a racist thing in the past is an ability they do not have, and so, when you ask her, if he's an ally, I think our response shows how meaningless really that word is for the political system.

He doesn't need him to be an ally and regulate that important. If he's an hour. What is important for her as that he reflects the things that she believes are community needs and to me that is the black political experience in a nutshell, it's not about being my friend it's about delivering on stuff. There have been few friends for black people in the scope of american politics. It is about who has been willing to be a vessel or that progress, and that has come in many many forms throughout our history. People who were open races, people who are segregation, is people who were slaveowners people. That has been true kind of do out, and I think that is particularly top of mine black elected officials in the south who have known that directly it known to navigate that do out their careers.

I said, thank you. You we'll be right back. Here's what else you need ten thirty your presidency, my agenda, is not against Russia or anyone else. It's for the american people on Wednesday, following their first increasing meeting President Biden in the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, described there encounter as constructive and positive, but during Too bad news conferences with reporters in Geneva, it became clear that

leaders remain deeply at odds over issues like human rights. And online meddling in elections, which bind told Putin, must stop I made it clear that we will not tolerate attempts to violate our democratic sovereign origin. Stabilize our democratic elections, and we would respond. Biden said he had warned not to bring any harm two Alexey Novalis, the russian opposition leader jailed by prudence government The bottom line is, I told, present food that we need to have some basic rules of the road that we can all abide by asked about Nevada during his openness conference, Putin counter that, the U S was silencing its own dissidents. Byron to those who stormed the capital on January Sixth and said that Russia wanted to avoid the kind of political violence that had occurred in the EU. It states during protest over policing last summer. What we saw

was disorder, distractions, violations of the law, etc feel sympathy. United States of, but we don't want that to happen on our territory and we're doing at in order to not allow it to have tidies episode, was produced Eric Crocky Diana win and look there. It was edited by Deep Shaw and LISA Chow contains original music by Damn pal and Marion Lozano in was engineered like westward. That's the deal I'm likeable by sea tomorrow.