Embattled Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said in an interview with The Washington Post that he wants to focus his remaining three years in office on racial “equity.” Northam’s comments stem from the recent discovery of a racist photo on his medical school yearbook page. The governor, who said he won’t resign despite ongoing pressure, said the “horrific” revelation also enables him to probe “white privilege,” per the Post. He also told the newspaper that he has asked top aides to develop proposals for tackling inequality. “It’s obvious from what happened this week that we still have a lot of work to do. There are still some very deep wounds in Virginia, and especially in the area of equity,” Northam reportedly said in his first interview since the controversy erupted. “There are ongoing inequities to access to things like education, health care, mortgages, capital, entrepreneurship. And so this has been a real, I think, an awakening for Virginia. It has really raised the level of awareness for racial issues in Virginia. And so we’re ready to learn from our mistakes.” Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, meanwhile, is facing pressure to resign after two women accused him of sexual assault.
