Blackface photo reopens long history of bigotry in medicine

[TU Curmudgeon]

From Associated Press

Blackface photo reopens long history of bigotry in medicine
​

NEW YORK (AP) — The racist photo on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s yearbook page wasn’t the only thing that disgusted Monifa Bandele. She was especially appalled that the image was published as he was graduating from medical school on his way to becoming a pediatrician.

The 1984 photo has stirred a national political furor and reopened the long history of bigotry in American medicine. The revelations about Northam gave many African-Americans a new reason to be distrustful of doctors.

“If you devalue black people, that’s going to impact how you treat black people,” said Bandele, senior vice president at Moms Rising, an advocacy group where she works on reproductive health issues, including maternal mortality. “And not just him, all of the medical professionals connected to the school, to the yearbook ... basically, your slip is showing. If you felt that black people were equal to white people in any way, shape or form, you would not think that this was OK.”

The photo surfaced from the pages of the Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook. The image showed one man in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan robe. The Democratic governor denied that he’s in the photo but acknowledged wearing blackface on a separate occasion.


COMMENT:-

A look at the situation that is somewhat deeper than whether some individual was acting like a jerk 30+ years ago with a knee-jerk condemnation of that individual that doesn't consider what the individual is like now.

Some people might find it thought provoking.
​

 

[Pippi Longstock]

From Associated Press

Blackface photo reopens long history of bigotry in medicine
​

NEW YORK (AP) — The racist photo on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s yearbook page wasn’t the only thing that disgusted Monifa Bandele. She was especially appalled that the image was published as he was graduating from medical school on his way to becoming a pediatrician.

The 1984 photo has stirred a national political furor and reopened the long history of bigotry in American medicine. The revelations about Northam gave many African-Americans a new reason to be distrustful of doctors.

“If you devalue black people, that’s going to impact how you treat black people,” said Bandele, senior vice president at Moms Rising, an advocacy group where she works on reproductive health issues, including maternal mortality. “And not just him, all of the medical professionals connected to the school, to the yearbook ... basically, your slip is showing. If you felt that black people were equal to white people in any way, shape or form, you would not think that this was OK.”

The photo surfaced from the pages of the Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook. The image showed one man in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan robe. The Democratic governor denied that he’s in the photo but acknowledged wearing blackface on a separate occasion.


COMMENT:-

A look at the situation that is somewhat deeper than whether some individual was acting like a jerk 30+ years ago with a knee-jerk condemnation of that individual that doesn't consider what the individual is like now.

Some people might find it thought provoking.
​

My thoughts exactly when this came out. WTF are doctors at a medical school in the 80's really doing, thinking and practicing with this? Not to imply that's it's OK for anyone to sanction this type of behavior but at a Med School???

Probably the worst place a racist pig can implant him/her self would be in medicine or government.

 

[Master Debator]

My thoughts exactly when this came out. WTF are doctors at a medical school in the 80's really doing, thinking and practicing with this? Not to imply that's it's OK for anyone to sanction this type of behavior but at a Med School???

Probably the worst place a racist pig can implant him/her self would be in medicine or government.

I suppose I have to forgive some level of naivete but this shouldn't really be a shock. The civil rights act was only passed in 64' and was opposed by a good portion of the country, and heavily in the south. The people who opposed it were professionals, middle class and poor people alike. They were adults, teenagers, children and they went on to have kids of their own. So yea, if you're black or brown in this country you know you might have to rely on institutions and people who not to long ago were dead set against you having equal rights. Cops, judges, doctors, lawyers, E.M.T.s,.... Especially those places because efforts were taken to minimize our participation in those professions.... so yea this really wasn't a big surprise to me.

 

[Pippi Longstock]

I suppose I have to forgive some level of naivete but this shouldn't really be a shock. The civil rights act was only passed in 64' and was opposed by a good portion of the country, and heavily in the south. The people who opposed it were professionals, middle class and poor people alike. They were adults, teenagers, children and they went on to have kids of their own. So yea, if you're black or brown in this country you know you might have to rely on institutions and people who not to long ago were dead set against you having equal rights. Cops, judges, doctors, lawyers, E.M.T.s,.... Especially those places because efforts were taken to minimize our participation in those professions.... so yea this really wasn't a big surprise to me.

The way you put this it is embarrassing that I was/am so naive. But furthermore a few things that stick out to me are;

1. Why didn't even one other student bust the lid on this years ago?
2. Is it that the whole school was ok with this?
3. That University has no credibility now.
4. Who is in that photo and WTH doesn't anyone at that University have the guts to spill the beans? we all know they know.

other thoughts, Ralph Northam does not get to pass go with this. Anyone who supports him needs to go.

 

[SLC]

From Associated Press

Blackface photo reopens long history of bigotry in medicine
​

NEW YORK (AP) — The racist photo on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s yearbook page wasn’t the only thing that disgusted Monifa Bandele. She was especially appalled that the image was published as he was graduating from medical school on his way to becoming a pediatrician.

The 1984 photo has stirred a national political furor and reopened the long history of bigotry in American medicine. The revelations about Northam gave many African-Americans a new reason to be distrustful of doctors.

“If you devalue black people, that’s going to impact how you treat black people,” said Bandele, senior vice president at Moms Rising, an advocacy group where she works on reproductive health issues, including maternal mortality. “And not just him, all of the medical professionals connected to the school, to the yearbook ... basically, your slip is showing. If you felt that black people were equal to white people in any way, shape or form, you would not think that this was OK.”

The photo surfaced from the pages of the Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook. The image showed one man in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan robe. The Democratic governor denied that he’s in the photo but acknowledged wearing blackface on a separate occasion.


COMMENT:-

A look at the situation that is somewhat deeper than whether some individual was acting like a jerk 30+ years ago with a knee-jerk condemnation of that individual that doesn't consider what the individual is like now.

Some people might find it thought provoking.
​

I agree with her its reprehensible that it appeared in the Medical School year book. I wonder how much faculty oversight was exercised on the yearbook. Obviously not enough. I honestly do not know what is in my year book because I never bought one and don't remember ever even seeing one. I can tell you one thing for sure I'm not in a blackface or KKK costume in it. The fact that Northam had to "study" the photo before declaring he was not in the photo is hysterical. :lol: The Democrats need to cut their losses and jettison Northam and move on. He is damaged goods.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

The way you put this it is embarrassing that I was/am so naive. But furthermore a few things that stick out to me are;

1. Why didn't even one other student bust the lid on this years ago?

Heaven forbid that we should be deluged with constant reminders of the dumb things that everyone in the world (including ourselves) did many years ago and don't do now.

2. Is it that the whole school was ok with this?

Possibly. You do have to remember that "the standards of acceptable behaviour" in the 1980s were NOT the same as "the standards of acceptable behaviour" today.

On the other hand, I suppose that we should immediately destroy all Al Jolson movies and recordings because he "appeared in blackface" one hell of a lot more times than this person did.

And then, of course, we can destroy all traces of anything that "Iron Eyes Cody" did. And, of course, all of those Charlie Chan movies have a completely unacceptable level of "cultural appropriation", don't they?

Oh yes, that that Jay Silverheels' "cultural appropriation" of an AMERICAN Indian is so shocking that we simply have to destroy all of the Lone Ranger movies, and radio/TV shows.

Please don't get me started on "Amos & Andy".

3. That University has no credibility now.

Oh PIFFLE!

4. Who is in that photo and WTH doesn't anyone at that University have the guts to spill the beans? we all know they know.

Quite frankly Scarlet, I don't give a damn.

other thoughts, Ralph Northam does not get to pass go with this. Anyone who supports him needs to go.[/QUOTE]

 

[Acadia]

VA Dems need to draft articles of impeachment for Northam and Fairfax. Both need to go. IF this sex scandal starts to have a ring of truth, Virginia will need-and deserves- a leader who can lead. Ralph Northam is not that person.

 

[Rickeroo]

In a sense, the furor over a 30 year old 'photo in blackface' allows racism to continue - it keeps everyone focused on absolutely meaningless trinkets while failing to address what racism is and how it's manifested. Of the white people here that avoid the "bad areas" of a city (such as the Roxbury section of Boston), how many of those white people have worn blackface at any point in their lives?

 

[Pippi Longstock]

I agree with her its reprehensible that it appeared in the Medical School year book. I wonder how much faculty oversight was exercised on the yearbook. Obviously not enough. I honestly do not know what is in my year book because I never bought one and don't remember ever even seeing one. I can tell you one thing for sure I'm not in a blackface or KKK costume in it. The fact that Northam had to "study" the photo before declaring he was not in the photo is hysterical. :lol: The Democrats need to cut their losses and jettison Northam and move on. He is damaged goods.

Northam first said that it was him in the photo. Then he said it wasn't. He is a complete piece of crap.

 

[Pippi Longstock]

In a sense, the furor over a 30 year old 'photo in blackface' allows racism to continue - it keeps everyone focused on absolutely meaningless trinkets while failing to address what racism is and how it's manifested. Of the white people here that avoid the "bad areas" of a city (such as the Roxbury section of Boston), how many of those white people have worn blackface at any point in their lives?

While I agree with you. Dressing up in blackface is racist. Dressing up as KKK is murderous. Why that isn't glaring to people is beyond me. A Dr. with a blackface and a KKK photo on his yearbook page should have made news a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time ago.

 

[Master Debator]

In a sense, the furor over a 30 year old 'photo in blackface' allows racism to continue - it keeps everyone focused on absolutely meaningless trinkets while failing to address what racism is and how it's manifested. Of the white people here that avoid the "bad areas" of a city (such as the Roxbury section of Boston), how many of those white people have worn blackface at any point in their lives?

No it doesn't allow racism to continue. Anyone claiming so never really wanted to address racism to begin with.

 

[Pippi Longstock]

Quite frankly Scarlet, I don't give a damn.

I care. Nobody gets a pass. At least they shouldn't.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

In a sense, the furor over a 30 year old 'photo in blackface' allows racism to continue - it keeps everyone focused on absolutely meaningless trinkets while failing to address what racism is and how it's manifested. Of the white people here that avoid the "bad areas" of a city (such as the Roxbury section of Boston), how many of those white people have worn blackface at any point in their lives?

I have taken this situation to heart and burned the (black) balaclava that I owned because I don't want to be labelled a "racist" because I "appear to look like I am in 'blackface'".

I'd advise everyone else to do the same.

 

[Rickeroo]

I have taken this situation to heart and burned the (black) balaclava that I owned because I don't want to be labelled a "racist" because I "appear to look like I am in 'blackface'".

I'd advise everyone else to do the same.

Point taken. We need to choose the color of our clothing carefully and potentially other articles such as cars or pellet stoves. Racist colors would be yellow, brown, red and black. A supremacist color would be white. Safe colors would be green, blue and purple.

Unfortunately, my pellet stove is black. They didn't offer any other colors in 2008 when I bought it, however 2008 was well after the Civil Rights Act and I should have been aware that a black pellet stove would be mocking. Come to think of it, I also have a black cat. There must be innumerable racist themes in every white person's home or on their person.

We need some kind of government audit service, kind of like what Scientologists do with their E-meters, to come into white people's houses to asses how much they are making fun of black people with the colors they choose and the products they buy.

 

[JackA]

The way you put this it is embarrassing that I was/am so naive. But furthermore a few things that stick out to me are;

1. Why didn't even one other student bust the lid on this years ago?
2. Is it that the whole school was ok with this?
3. That University has no credibility now.
4. Who is in that photo and WTH doesn't anyone at that University have the guts to spill the beans? we all know they know.

other thoughts, Ralph Northam does not get to pass go with this. Anyone who supports him needs to go.

Idle rubbish.

Northam has a long medical career behind him, treating black and white patients alike. He has a career as a Democratic lawmaker helping to advance policies Afro Americans support. There's a reason why in the poll just out a clear majority to black voters want him NOT to resign. Republican white voters of course are all for him going, having suddenly discovered their righteous outrage.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

Point taken. We need to choose the color of our clothing carefully and potentially other articles such as cars or pellet stoves. Racist colors would be yellow, brown, red and black. A supremacist color would be white. Safe colors would be green, blue and purple.

Unfortunately, my pellet stove is black. They didn't offer any other colors in 2008 when I bought it, however 2008 was well after the Civil Rights Act and I should have been aware that a black pellet stove would be mocking. Come to think of it, I also have a black cat. There must be innumerable racist themes in every white person's home or on their person.

We need some kind of government audit service, kind of like what Scientologists do with their E-meters, to come into white people's houses to asses how much they are making fun of black people with the colors they choose and the products they buy.

Rush IMMEDIATELY to Thurmalox (by Dampney). They manufacture a wide range of tinted (we can't say "coloured" because that's racist) stove paints and order today. Until such time as you have completely repainted your barbecue, I'd advise you to keep it covered by a tarp (preferably blue or orange - although the Anoxia Society of America has issued a "caution" over the use of blue as it is potentially a sign of discrimination against people having respiratory issues).

DO NOT cover your barbecue with a sheet as that will only be compounding the problem.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

Idle rubbish.

Northam has a long medical career behind him, treating black and white patients alike. He has a career as a Democratic lawmaker helping to advance policies Afro Americans support. There's a reason why in the poll just out a clear majority to black voters want him NOT to resign. Republican white voters of course are all for him going, having suddenly discovered their righteous outrage.

Not to mention the fact that, if they can knock the top three office holders (all Democrats) out of office then, the fourth in line is a Republican so that they will end up controlling both houses of the legislature and the governorship.

 

[marke]

From Associated Press

Blackface photo reopens long history of bigotry in medicine
​

NEW YORK (AP) — The racist photo on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s yearbook page wasn’t the only thing that disgusted Monifa Bandele. She was especially appalled that the image was published as he was graduating from medical school on his way to becoming a pediatrician.

The 1984 photo has stirred a national political furor and reopened the long history of bigotry in American medicine. The revelations about Northam gave many African-Americans a new reason to be distrustful of doctors.

“If you devalue black people, that’s going to impact how you treat black people,” said Bandele, senior vice president at Moms Rising, an advocacy group where she works on reproductive health issues, including maternal mortality. “And not just him, all of the medical professionals connected to the school, to the yearbook ... basically, your slip is showing. If you felt that black people were equal to white people in any way, shape or form, you would not think that this was OK.”

The photo surfaced from the pages of the Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook. The image showed one man in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan robe. The Democratic governor denied that he’s in the photo but acknowledged wearing blackface on a separate occasion.


COMMENT:-

A look at the situation that is somewhat deeper than whether some individual was acting like a jerk 30+ years ago with a knee-jerk condemnation of that individual that doesn't consider what the individual is like now.

Some people might find it thought provoking.
​

Millions of Americans owned slaves before the Civil War. Millions of Americans oppressed blacks after the civil war. Many young Americans grew up among adults who were racially prejudiced against blacks. So what? Are modern Americans to continue to beat one another over the head for what happened decades ago that are not a part of what we are today? Wise men have moved on. Racists have not.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

Millions of Americans owned slaves before the Civil War. Millions of Americans oppressed blacks after the civil war. Many young Americans grew up among adults who were racially prejudiced against blacks. So what? Are modern Americans to continue to beat one another over the head for what happened decades ago that are not a part of what we are today? Wise men have moved on. Racists have not.

But those photos were taken ONLY 35 years ago.

That means that there isn't any possibility whatsoever that the people in them have "moved on". I mean, everyone knows that college students (and medical school students in particular) are the wisest, more worldly, and most mature people in the world.

PS - I've worked with medical school students and also with graduates. If you want my opinion as to who has the more infantile sense of humour, high school seniors or final year medical students, I'd have to go with the med school students.

 

[marke]

But those photos were taken ONLY 35 years ago.

That means that there isn't any possibility whatsoever that the people in them have "moved on". I mean, everyone knows that college students (and medical school students in particular) are the wisest, more worldly, and most mature people in the world.

PS - I've worked with medical school students and also with graduates. If you want my opinion as to who has the more infantile sense of humour, high school seniors or final year medical students, I'd have to go with the med school students.

Leave people alone. Hillary went to a racist school just 50 years ago and you want to condemn other people for what they did 35 years ago? I do not like the new dissatisfied disgruntled bitching democrat party methods of scorch and burn.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

Leave people alone. Hillary went to a racist school just 50 years ago and you want to condemn other people for what they did 35 years ago? I do not like the new dissatisfied disgruntled bitching democrat party methods of scorch and burn.

Please try reading for content.

Yes, I know that sarcasm doesn't come across very well in print, but it does come across if you actually think about what you read.