Preview of Gayle King interview with Ralph Northam

Here's a clip from “CBS This Morning" co-host Gayle King's interview with Ralph Northam in which Northam stated that he would not resign. The full interview airs Monday on CBS This Morning.

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass Calls For Northam To Resign

Today, the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), issued the following statement regarding Governor Northam:

“Ralph Northam served in our nation’s military, treated thousands of families as a medical doctor, and had the audacity to ask for Black votes when he wanted to become governor, yet never once mentioned that he thought it was ok to be in black face or dressed as a Klansman.

“An apology now isn’t enough. The governor needs to learn that it’s not about what you do once you’re caught. Instead, it’s about the things you do when you think no one is watching.

“We now know what Ralph Northam did when he thought no one was watching. The person in that photo can’t be trusted to lead. Governor Northam must resign immediately.”

Virginia Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax statement on Governor Northam blackface photo

Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax is the man who would take over if Governor Northam of Virginia resigned because of a racist yearbook photo in which Northam is in either blackface or wearing a KKK robe. Fairfax released the following statement on the controversy:

Like so many Virginians, I am shocked and saddened by the images in the Governor’s yearbook that came to light yesterday.

They are an example of a painful scourge that continues to haunt us today and holds us back from the progress we need to make.

As we commemorate 400 years since the first enslaved Africans were brought to Virginia, it is painful to experience such a searing reminder of the modern legacy of our nation’s original sin. And, as someone whose great-great-great grandfather was enslaved in Virginia, this episode strikes particularly close to home.

The Governor needed to apologize, and I am glad that he did so. He also reached out to me personally to express his sincere regrets and to apologize.

I have worked closely with Ralph Northam over many years. He has been a friend to me and has treated my family and me with hospitality and respect.

While his career has been marked by service to children, soldiers, and constituents, I cannot condone the actions from his past that, at the very least, suggest a comfort with Virginia’s darker history of white supremacy, racial stereotyping, and intimidation.

At this critical and defining moment in the history of Virginia and this nation, we need leaders with the ability to unite and help us rise to the better angels of our nature.

I remain committed to serving and helping to heal the Commonwealth moving forward. Now more than ever, we must make decisions in the best interests of the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Cory Booker, Kamala Harris called for Virginia Governor Northam to resign

Democratic presidential candidates, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris are calling for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) to resign over his appearance in a picture showing a man wearing blackface and another dressed in a Ku Klux Klan robe.

Read their statements posted on Twitter below:

These images arouse centuries of anger, anguish, and racist violence and they’ve eroded all confidence in Gov. Northam’s ability to lead. We should expect more from our elected officials. He should resign.

— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) February 2, 2019

Leaders are called to a higher standard, and the stain of racism should have no place in the halls of government. The Governor of Virginia should step aside so the public can heal and move forward together.

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 2, 2019

Two African Americans elected as Lieutenant Governors on Election Day 2017

While much attention was payed to Democratic candidates that won governor's races in both New Jersey and Virginia, two African American candidates also won statewide office. Both Sheila Oliver of New jersey and Justin Fairfax of Virginia were elected as Lieutenant Governors of their prospective states.

Sheila Oliver

New Jersey elected Sheila Oliver as its first female African-American lieutenant governor. Oliver is no stranger to breaking records: She became the first African-American woman to be elected as Assembly speaker in New Jersey and only the second black female speaker in U.S. history.

“This may not be the first glass ceiling I have broken, but it is certainly the highest,” Oliver said during Democrat Phil Murphy’s victory party. “And I hope somewhere in this great state of New Jersey, a young girl of color is watching tonight and realizing that she does not have a limit to how high she can go.”

Justin Fairfax

Democrat Justin Fairfax was elected to become Virginia’s next lieutenant governor. With his victory, the former federal prosecutor will be the second African-American to win statewide in Virginia.

“I am so grateful for this opportunity,” Fairfax said during a statewide victory party, according to WJLA-TV. “We are changing the course of history in this commonwealth.”

[SOURCE: HUFFPOST]