Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring has admitted to wearing blackface while in college. Herring is the second in line to be governor of the state and was a candidate for the position in 2021.
“In 1980, when I was a 19-year-old undergraduate in college, some friends suggested we attend a party dressed like rappers we listened to at the time, like Kurtis Blow, and perform a song,” Mark Herring said in a statement. “It sounds ridiculous even now writing it. But because of our ignorance and glib attitudes — and because we did not have an appreciation for the experiences and perspectives of others — we dressed up and put on wigs and brown makeup.”
Herring stated that he is “haunted” by the incident.
The reveal from Attorney General Herring follows an outbreak of controversy in the state. Acting Governor Ralph Northam revealed that he too wore blackface to dress up as Michael Jackson, however, he has denied that it is him in a yearbook photo where a man is dressed in blackface standing next to a man dressed as a member of the KKK. Northam has resisted calls for his resignation
If the news for Virginia elected officials couldn’t get worse, Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax is battling sexual assault allegations, which he states are false accusations fueled by backlash of supports for Gov. Northam.
