Richmond, VA - New Virginia Majority issued the following statement: New Virginia Majority strongly condemns the grotesque display of racism and bigotry reported today in The Virginian-Pilot showing a picture of two men, one in blackface and one in a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood, on the medical school yearbook page belonging to Gov. Ralph Northam. 

This photo is a painful and shocking reminder of what we all know and see daily - here in Virginia and nationally: racism is baked into the fabric of American life, both the violent and public displays such as in 2017 when the KKK rallied in Charlottesville and in the systemic and less visible but equally violent ways that devastate our communities. It is our job to unequivocally and without hesitation call out, condemn, and root out bigotry and racism wherever we find it - particularly among the most powerful.

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New Virginia Majority builds power in working-class communities of color across the Commonwealth. We organize for racial and economic justice through large-scale political education, mobilization, and advocacy around dozens of issues. We fight for a Virginia that is just, democratic, and environmentally sustainable.