John Boyd said he first met Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to talk about how the government shutdown was impacting black farmers.
Nearly two weeks after their first meeting, Virginia would be consumed by a series of race-related scandals embroiling the governor, first lady, and attorney general.
Northam faced national backlash and calls from some in his state to step down after a photo, which depicts two men, one in a Ku Klux Klan robe and another in blackface, on his yearbook page. Northam has denied he was in the picture, has not resigned and has since been on a racial reconciliation tour of sorts meeting with civil rights leaders and others.
Those conservations included discussions with Boyd who, for three decades, has advocated for black farmers as the founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association.
He says Northam’s lack of political experience has been a hindrance in his ability to bounce back following the yearbook controversy.
“I believe sometimes the governor may not have the right choice of words, due to the fact that he’s clearly not a sharped-edged politician that’s been poised at doing those type of off-the-cuff comments over the career,” he said.
