Virginia school to weigh in on 'blackface' photo that mired governor in scandal

The question of how a racist photo appeared on Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's 1984 medical school yearbook page may be answered on Wednesday when the school reveals the results of its four-month inquiry into the scandal. The publication by a conservative website early this year of the photo showing one person in blackface makeup and another in the robes of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan sparked weeks of political chaos in the state, setting off scandals that embroiled Virginia's three top Democrats.

Northam in February initially admitted to having appeared in the photo and apologized. He later changed his story, saying he did not believe he was pictured, but had performed in blackface to impersonate the singer Michael Jackson at about that time. That led his alma mater, the Eastern Virginia Medical School, to line up a team of lawyers to conduct a probe into how the photo appeared on Northam's yearbook page. They are due to release their findings at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT) on Wednesday.

Northam, a white 59-year-old former U.S. Army doctor, resisted calls to step down from within his own party in Virginia - seen as a key swing state for the 2020 presidential election - as well as from at least five Democratic presidential candidates. His decision to not resign was buoyed by polls in February showing support, especially from the state's black residents. In a Washington Post poll, 58 percent of black residents said Northam should remain in office versus 37 percent who said he should leave.

The scandal ensnared two other Virginia officials, with women accusing Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax of sexual assault, and Attorney General Mark Herring saying he wore blackface in college to depict a black rapper. The origins of blackface date to 19th century "minstrel" shows in which white performers painted their faces black to caricature slaves. It is widely seen as racist today, but remained a common theme in U.S. television and movies through the 1980s.

Northam, who took office in 2018, has vowed to finish his four-year term. Polling by Morning Consult showed Northam's approval rating plunged in February after the scandal broke but has since recovered, with more Virginians now approving of him than disapproving, based on interviews conducted from April 1-23 of 2,896 voters registered in Virginia.

Northam's office declined to comment ahead of the release of the probe's findings. (Reporting By Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico; Editing by Scott Malone and Bill Berkrot)