Virginia's governor digs an even deeper hole with his 'indentured servants' comparison
Governor Ralph Northam has dug himself so far into a hole I'm not sure who can rescue him.
The Virginia governor is already under pressure to resign after a photo emerged of his yearbook page featuring two people, one in blackface and one dressed as a Ku Klux Klan member. The governor claimed he's not either of the people in that photo, but then admitted he once put shoe polish on his face for a Michael Jackson costume.
Northam, who has so far resisted calls to resign, stirred up controversy on CBS This Morning Sunday after he initially referred to the Africans who landed on Virginia's shores hundreds of years ago as "indentured servants."
"We are now at the 400-year anniversary — just 90 miles from here in 1619. The first indentured servants from Africa landed on our shores in Old Point Comfort, what we call now Fort Monroe, and while -- " Northam said on the show.
"Also known as slavery," Gayle King said, interrupting him.
"Yes," Northam conceded.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Were Northam not in the situation he's in, this moment might have gone by unnoticed. As it is, however, the governor came under fire for seemingly minimizing this grotesque chapter of Virginia history:
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Other journalists and critics weren't so sure that Northam committed a grand gaffe on Sunday (though no one disputes how much trouble he's created for himself generally).
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Approximately 47 percent of Virginians believe Northam should step down, according to a new poll conducted by The Washington Post-Schar School.
Northam has pledged to remain in office despite public pressure.
Topics Politics
Heather was the Web Trends reporter at Mashable NYC. Prior to joining Mashable, Heather wrote regularly for UPROXX and GOOD Magazine, was published in The Daily Dot and VICE, and had her work featured in Entertainment Weekly, Jezebel, Mic, and Gawker. She loves small terrible dogs and responsible driving. Follow her on Twitter @wear_a_helmet.
