democracy now!] ♪ amy:y: from pacifica, this is democracy now! >> when i was confronted with the images yesterday, i was appalled that they appeared on then,e, but i believed and now, that i am not either of the people in that photo. amy: calls are mounting for democratic virginia governor ralph northam to resign after a photo surfaced from his medical school yearbook page featuring a

man wearing blackface posing next to a man wearing a ku klux klan outfit. lamont bagby,with a virginia state delegate and the chair of the virginia legislative black caucus. chandler thekevin , virginia state c conference president of the naacp. and rhae lynn barnes. she is an assistant professor of american cultural history at princeton university and author of the forthcoming book "darkology: when the american dream wore blackface." >> a lot of white americans feel that blackface is innocuous, but this is an important issue. amy: and protests erupt after prisoners were forced to endure freezing temperatures during the polar vortex with h no heat, nol ight, no hot showers. >> being in the dark when the

weather is plummeting, and according to accounts inside, it was 30 degrees indoors. they would have been great if chuck schumer or kirsten gillibrand showed up to have some sort of presence here, but that is not the case. things like this will continue to go on until people speak up about it. amy: after days of protests, officials say electricity is restored from about many cell -- but many cells still lack heat. all that and more, coming up. ♪ welcome to democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. calls are mounting for democratic virginia governor ralph northam to resign after a photo surfaced from his medical school yearbook showing a man wearing blackface posing next to a man in a ku klux klan outfit. on friday, northam apologized for the photo in his 1984 eastern virginia medical school

yearbook but walked back his statements the following day in a news conference, claiming now that the men in the photo were him, though he did admit to when posing asce michael jackson. in the spaceere that codifies the law -- that codified the laws of slavery and we in a brutal system that are still struggling to get out from under today. we are here today because the history of jim crow is obviously still alive and living in the governor's mansion. down,f the governor steps lieutenant governor justin fairfax would fill his seat and become the only current

african-american governor in the united states. more on the store after headlines. said sundayump sending u.s. troops to venezuela is an option. he made the comments on cbs' "face the nation." he praised opposition leader juan guaido, calling him a young and energetic gentleman and said the events unfolding in venezuela are democracy in action. the u.s. said saturday it is sending humanitarian aid to response to guaido, who declared himself interim president. the military has continued to support president nicolas maduro air forceurday, general franciscsco yanez pledgd loyalty touauaido. an ultltimatum issued by bririt, france, germany, and spain for

maduroro to call new presidentil elections expired sunday. in the c capital caracas, thousands participated in competing protests. at a pro-maduro protest, the president called o on militia members to join the venezuelan army. on saturday, madaduro called for early elections in the national assembly and once again warned against foreign military inintervention. >> step forward. abandon interventionalilism. stopop calling for yankee milily intervention of the country. stop supporting a coup that has already failed. meetingada is hosting a of the lima group. canada and the lima group, minus mexico, say they recognize juan guaido as president. during his cbs interview sunday, president trump confirmed his plans to withdraw u.s. troops from syria after senate republicans last week rebuked the move, saying the islamic state is still a threat in the region. trump also said that he wanted to maintain a u.s. military presence in iraq to monitor iran. >> all i w want to d do i is bee

to watch. unbelievavable and expensive military b base builtn iraq.. it is perfectly situated for looking at, all over, different parts of the troubled middle east. amy: when asked about the government funding bill currently being negotiated before a february 15 deadline, trump did not rule out shutting down the government again if no satisfsfactory deal is m made. on fridaday, trump told reportrs there is a good chance he would call a national emergency to get around congress, despite reports that senate majority leader mitch mcconnell warned trump the move would split the republican and prompt a resolution disapproving the emergency declaration. meanwhile, the pentagon confirmed sunday it is sending 3,750 more troops to the u.s.-mexico border for a period of 90 days, a move announced by acting u.s. defense secretary patrick shanahan last week. in el salvador, nayib bukele was elected president sunday,

handily defeating his opponents from the two main parties that have dominated el salvador's political scene for overr a quarter centurury. a 37-year-old former mayor of san s salvador a and beat out candidateses from the rightwing nationalist republblican allllie and the leftist farabubundo mari frfront for national liberation, or fmln. bubukele, who o joined the coconservative grand alliance fr nationonal unity, or gana, after being exexpelled from the fmln n 2017, ran on an n anti-corrurupn platform. 2 u.s. attorneys and 2 journalists who have been working with members of a central american caravan in mexico have been removed from mexico after their passports were flagged. it's unknown where the orders to restrict their travel came from. nora phillips and erika pinheiro are attorneys with al otro lado, an immigrant rights group that, in 2017, filed a lawsuit accusing customs and border protection of depriving asylum seekers access to the asylum process. in a tweet, the american

immigration lawyers association said it is urging congress "to conduct a thorough and immediate investigation" into the removals. in iraq, an armed motorcyclist shot dead iraqi novelist alaa mashzoub in the city of kerbala saturday. the 50-year-old author and poet was heading home when the shooting happened, according to police. mashzoub was an outspoken critic of foreign intervention in iraq, radicalism, and corruption. the iraq's writers union blamed the iraqi government for failing to protect public intellectuals. no group has claimed responsibility for the murder. amnesty international said on friday the group boko haram killed at least 60 people last week in an attack on the northeastern border town of rann in nigeria. witnesses told amnesty nigerian military left the area the day before the attack, leading to an exodus of residedents who feared attttacky boko haram. the u.n. says tens of thousands of nigerians fled to neighboring cameroon in january.

boko haram attacked d rann earlr in january, killing 14 people. russian president vladimir putin responded to the u.s.'s withdrawal from the intermediate-range nuclear forceses treaty by saying g rus, too, was suspepending its commitment to the landmark agreement. >> we will provide a mirrorlike response. the american partners have declared that they suspend their paparticipation in the deal. we are suspending it as well. they announced they will engage in research and developing programs. we will do the same. amy: the nobel peace prize recipient, international campaign to abolish nuclear weapons, tweeted friday, "by pulling out of the inf, the u.s. waves the start flag for a new nuclear arms race and proves there's no such thing as a responsible nuclear armed state. this is why we need to end all nuclear weapons. states must join the nuclear ban treaty!" at least 29 children and bababs have d died on their way to a cp

for displaced people in northeastern syria since eararly december. according to the united nations, the primary cause of death is malnourishment and hypothermia. the u.n. said frididay it asked u.s.-backed syrian democratic forces to provide a safe transit site for civilians fleeing violence in the area. they said over 3000 people have fled to the camp in the past 2 months. vice media announced friday it is laying off 10% of its staff, or 250 employees, in the latest cut to newsrooms around the country, which has affected at least 2,000 people since the start of the year. also on friday, reports emerged of cuts at mcclatchy, with the company reportedly offering buyouts to 10% of its workers. in late january, buzzfeed, huffpost, and gannett, which owns over 1,000 publications across the country, also announced layoffs, with around 1,1,400 peopople losing their j. on friday, taiwanese electronics manufacturer foxconn walked back reports it is recognizing a plan to build flatscreen tv panels at a wisconsin plant.

terry gou, the chairman of foxconn, said he spoke to president trumump and confirmed planans to go ahead with construction of the factory. the comments contradicted thursday's report that said the facilityty will focus on researh anand development rather than manufacturing. in 2017, wisconsin governor scott walker, who was defeated in the november midterm elections, offered foxconn $3 billion in state and local tax credits, which has since ballooned to $4 4 billion, while the tech giant promised to create 13,000 jobs. 2020 democratic presidential hopeful senator elizabeth warren apologized to the cherokee nation for taking a dna test to demonstrate her native american ancestry. a spokesperson for the cherokee nation told the "intercept" warren privately apologized to the tribe last week. warren came under fire for the widely publicized release of the dna test in october, which was accompanied by a video claiming "strong evidence" of partial native american lineage in her family tree. in response, chuck hoskin, jr. of the cherokee nation said, "using a dna test to lay claim

to any connection to the cherokee nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong." senator warren, who announced on new year's eve she is settingp a presidentntial explororatory commitittee, is expected to formally announce her run later this week. hawaii senator tulsi gabbard announced her run saturday. ofi will restore the values dignity, honor, and respect to the presidency a and, above all elelse, love e for our people ad love for our couountry. amy: congressman gabbard has backed medicare for all. war veterananraq through her support behind senator bernie sanders' run for prpresident. she said d her candidacy will focus on war and peace, though some on the left have criticized

views.eign-policy last month, gabbard apologized for past derogatory comments about the lgbtq community. and protesters gathered to protest a federal detention center where as we were forced to endure last week's polar vortex with no heat and no light, no hot water for showers, and no hot meals. and those are some of the headlines. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. calls are mounting for democratic virginia governor ralph northam to resign after a photo surfaced from his medical school yearbook showing a man wearing blackface posing next to

a man wearing a ku klux klan outfit. on friday, northam apologizedd for ththe photo in his 1984 eastern virginia medical school yearbook. >> that photo o and thee racist attitudes it represents does not report the person i am today or the way i've conducted myself as a soldier, a dococtor, and a publicic servant. i'm deeeeply s sorry. i cannot change the decisions i mye, nor nn i u undo the harm decisions madehehen antodaday. but i accepept response ability for my past actions, and i am ready to do the hard work of regaining your trust. amy: however, on saturday, governor northam reversed course and, during a news conference, claimed neither of the m men in the racist yearbook photo were him, as he initially thought. northam also resisted growing calls for his resignation. this is northam speaking at the news conference saturday. amy: it was offensive, -- >> it was offensive, racist,

despicable. when my stafaff showed me it, i saw it for the first time. i did not purchase the yearbook and was unaware of what was on my page. when i was confronted with the images yesterday, i was appalled that the appeared on my page, but i believed then, and now, that i am not either of the people in that photo. amy: during that same news conference, northam admitted to a separate i instance e of wearg blackface. he admitted he darkened his face to imitate michael jackson in a 1984 dance contest. meanwhile, a separate 1981 yearbook from the virginia military institute has surfaced revealing northam was known by the racist nickname "coonman" as an undergraduate student there. northam has denied widespread use of the nickname, claiming two older boys called him the name for reasons he didn't understand. the controversy has sparked

public outrage and calls across the aisle for northam's immediate resignation. on saturday, democratic house speaker nancy pelosi said northam should step down so virginia could heal and move forward. nearly every declared democratic presidential contender in the 2020 race has also called for northam to resign, as has the naacp and the virginia legislative black caucus. on sunday evening, northam reportedly convened an impromptu senior staff meeting ahead of the super bowl to gauge support from his staff for his continued leadership. lieutenant governor justin fairfax was reportedly not in attendance. fairfax is next in line to become governor of virginia if northam resigns. when sworn into office last year, fairfax reportedly had in his pocket the document that emancipated his great-great-great-grandfather from slavery.

if fairfax were to become governor, he would be the only african-american governor in the country. in more, we're joined richmond, virginia by lamont bagby, chair of the virginia legislative black caucus. thank you so much for joining us. covenant northam called you to have a meeting to decide what to do before he changed his story saturday -- governor northam called you to have a meeting to decide what to do before he changed his story saturday. tell us what he told you. del. bagby: it was a meeting we both decided to have. were 10 of our virginia legislative black colleagues. it was a bit of an emotional conversation. we got a little bit more insight. everything that the public and virginians have heard t thus far he laid out on the table. we then returned to the capital

and caucused as the black caucus and came to the conclusion that governor northam cannot continue as the top elect it official in the commonwealth of virginia. we then returned to the governor and expressed that we thought it was in the best interests of the commonwealth. and i thought he agreed that it was in the best interest of the commonwealth. in order for us to start the healing process, thatat he step aside and allow us to turn the corner. amy: can you describe your response toto what happened saturday? by then, the virginia legislative black caucus, which you led, had said he should resign. but then he holds this news conference. del. bagby: yes. we were beginning to hear the rumors about him not resigning. hims attributing that to

getting his ducks in order, preparing for his transition. but then, once we saw the press conference, i think alall of uss wewere disappointed in that pres conference. i think the governor missed the mark on that one. amy: one of the few people who had come out kind of in support former virginia democratic congressmember jim moran. speakiking on abc's "this week," moran defended northamam's rered and sasaid he should b be gin a chance to redeem himimself. medicaidhas expanded to hundreds of thousands of uninsured unions, aiaided subordinatate -- a just apportionment number -- eight disproportionate number of whom are african americans.

hehe has invested in better preschools and public c schools and minonority neighborhoods. we know what he has done as governor. but even if the worst-case scenario is true, i think there is an issue of redemption. redemption i is a powerful factr in what people are able to accomplish.. he understands the endemicic racism that has been partrt of virginia s siety for s so long. years ago to this year when the first african-americans were e brought comfort, nowpoint fort monroe. he understands that legacy betttter than many people are ae to, and i think k we ought to ge him an opportunity to redeem himself. amy: that is congressman jim moran. your response? you have been a long time

supporter of northam while he has been governor. del. bagby: sure. and as i did yesterday, right after jim moran made those statements, i want to make it very clear that justin fairfax was not promoted by ralph northam. justin fairfax was not the lieutenant governor because ralph northam selected him. love ralph. beeeentin fairfax has lieutenant governor and has been successful as lieutenant governor because of justin fairfax. amy: and can you tell us a little about who justin fairfax is? a remarkable moment when he is sworn in as lieutenant governor, and he has, in his pocket, the emancipation papers of his great-great-great-grandfather. del. bagby: justin fairfax, i believe, is prepared to lead. he is not perfect. he is a blue devils fan. but he is prepared to lead.

and i do not want to say, if we are going to throw ralph out -- ralph northam has the opportunity to still contribute to the commonwealth of virginia. and some of that he has already done. he will, i imagine, go back to seeing patients. he will have a voice in the commonwealth, particularly as it relates to reconciliation, redempmption, and race relation. i think you will have an opportunity to have a loud voice paid i just do not believe he has the opportunity to continue as the highest ranking elected official in the commonwealth, with all that has transpired and the revelations from friday. month, for the second lieutenantow,

governor justin fairfax sat out a session of the virginia senate, over which he presides, as the body honored confederate general robert e. lee. fairfax tweeted, "history repeats itself. i will be stepping off the dais today in protest of the virginia senate honoring robert e. lee. i'll be thinking of this june 5, 1798 manumission document that freed my great-great-great-grandfather, simon fairfax, from slavery in virginia. #werisetogether." fairfax had those emancipation papers in his pocket when he was swsworn in. talk about that scene and what that was all about. i think it well, illustrated who the man justin fairfax is. i also want to make sure that we make very clear ralph northam, justin fairfax, the black cauc us, the house caucus, both sides of the aisle have worked together to make sure that the most vulnerable of our citizens receive the services and equity and justices they deserve.

friday, around 1:00, i gave a floor speech that shared that the virginia legislative black friendsas no permanent or enemies, only permanent interests. over time, we have worked with ralph northam and justin fairfax in the interest of those most vulnerable individuals in every corner of the commonwealth. we do not want to discount the work either of them have done. but just as we have said, no --manent enemies or friends that was challenged friday, when andad these revelations asked for governor ralph northam to step aside. amy: and what is your understanding of the meeting last night, the emergency meeting that governor northam called of his staff? del. bagby: i am going to be frank with you. i decided i was going to take a break, prepare foror your show, and watch the super bowl. after that, i went to bed.

we are prepared to caucus. you,after i come off with in fact. my members are waiting for me. then we will go into the democratic caucus, house caucus meeting. then we will go to the floor. this is the day before crossover. for individuals not familiar with crossover in the commonwealth of virginia, this is the day where house bills go to the senate and senate bills go to the house, one of the busiest days of our session. wewe have to remind folks that e were sent here to do the work. it is time for us to be re-committed to doing the work. lamont bagby, i want to thank you so much for being with us, chair of the virginia legislative black caucus. when we come back, we will be joined by reverend kevin

chandler. ♪ [music break]

amy: "nevever go back" by birdsf chicago. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. the calls mounting for democratic virginia governor ralph northam to resign after a photo surfaced from his medical school yearbook showing a man wearing blackface posing next to a man in a ku klux klan outfit. on friday, northam apologized for the photo in his 1984 eastern virginia medical school yearbook but then walked back on his statement saturday, claiming neither of the men in the photo where him. we are joined by reverend kevin chandler, president of the virginia naacp. for thep came out

resignation of governor northam friday when the picture first emerged and when, at the time, --ernor northam admitted said it was a picture of him. not sure which it was, the kkk g uy or the guy in blackface. for the next day hehe a news conferenence that said it was nt him,m, although he had worn blackface before, impersonating michael jackson in a dance contest. what are you calling for now? rev. chandler: the virginia state conference naacp is ralphg and demanding northam to step down as the governor of virginia. amy: talk about why you want this to happen now and what you understand the governor will do. he did hold a meeting last night that he staff, weighing

would step down as governor, although he said the day before he would not. yes.chandler: so friday evening, prior to the governor going on national television to apologize, he gave me a call, just as he has done before. the governor was very apologetic in what had taken place. day was theat that worst day of his career in office, and he wanted to reach out to me prior to him going on live television. what did he say to you and whatat did you s say to him? rev. chandler: i told him i could understanand where he felt that this was the worst day, and i heard him and felt his apology

was sincere and genuine. so on saturday morning, when i conference, press the virginia state conference naacp executive committee was having our quarterly meeting. we were expecting the governor to resign at that time. and, latater on, finding out tht was not the case, and now he w s denying thatat it was him. apology, in some ways, was invalid when he called me friday, because his apology, once again -- and i said this once before, i received a call of him apologizing just recently , halloween, some three month ago, dressing up as a former .overnor and slave owner and him apologizing for that and

hearing him say that he is a better man than back in 1984, when the pictures were there in his yearbook, i can't see where it is that he has changed, if he does not really have a connection with the hurt that all of the racism and someone is notg in blackface accepted at any time. at 25-year-old, i am sure he should have known better. even with the picture being klane someone in a ku klux uniform is just an except about -- unacceptable. amy: i would like to go back to northam's news conference saturday, when he was asked about his high school nickname, "coonman." >> my main nickname in heisel in college was goose. because when my voice was

changing, i would change an octave. there were two individiduals, as best i can recollect, at vmi who called me "coonman." i do not know their intent. it ended up in the yearbook. i regret that. amy: reverend chandler, your response? i understand him being regretful of that, but in saying he does not know why they called him that, and also to have that being printed in , i doal under his picture not think i would have anything such as that if i did not understand what it meant. amy: so he does not know why he was called that, he does not remember, to the best of his ability, the photograph, which is why he said -- and if you could explain -- friday, you

thought the photograph was of him, not sure if the man in blackface or in the ku klux klan regalia, and then the next day saying it was not him, although he does remember dancing as michael jackson. amazingly, when someone asked to do the moonwalk, he looked like he was finding some space for it before his wife, behind him, said that is inappropriate. rev. chandler: yes. i was so glad that he did not do again, he, in some way, does not connect with the hurt and racism and how it affects the citizens of virginia. so in him saying that he does offensive, this is even in dressing upp as michael jackson and putting on a little bit of shoe polish, in blackface -- blackface is blackface.

it should not be accepted or condoned at any time. amy: finally, this is the of00ths -- 400th anniversary enslaved africans first being brought to jamestown. can you talk about the significance of this for virginia and what it would mean if the lieutenant governor, justin fairfax, becomes governor, the only black governor in the country? rev. chandler: it is a time of virginia getting past the hurtful history which it has. with thise deal racism, whether it be charlottesville, photos in the be an emtwhether it worker in patrick county, it cannot happen. , as citizens in 2019,

should be bebeyond this thiningf racism. although virginia has a history. we cannot deny that history. but we do not need to continue to relive that. so lieutenant governor justin fairfax spoke volumes and where it was -- he sat out by himself. just seeing that picture of him by himself. the virginia state conference, as he becomes the governor, we will stand beside him in the efforts of moving virginia forward and healing. so the main focus should be healing. i think ralph northam should and consider the virginians step down, step aside, and allow virginia to move forward and heal. as i heard delegate bagby say, there is a lot of work that has to be done.

with this hanging over virginia, i think that has continued to hinder the process of the great work that needs to be done. amy: if he refuses to step down, which you might at the time people watch this broadcast, or listen or read it, do you leave the virginia legislature should impeach him? rev. chandler: i think they have stated that is the process in what they are planning to do. i do agree with that. again, because he has betrayed the trust of virginians. he has betrayed the trust of so many on his side. party this is not a issue, but he has to work with the democratic party. he has to work with the republican party. many have stated, loudly, that he should step aside. he iserson, i think that able to redeem himself.

notas a governor, i do foresee him being able to conduct the business of the leadership of virginia. amy: reverend kevin chandler, thank you so much for joining us north carolina, president of the virginia state conference of the naacp. this is democracy now! we turn to this issue of virginia governor ralph northam to resign after a photo surfaced from his medical school yearbook showing a man wearing blackface posing next to a man in a ku klux klan outfit. northam apologize for the phohoo friday then, the next day, walked back his statements in a press conference. the annual yearbook also features a picture of a white man in a wig wearing blackface. the caption reads whoever

thought diana ross would make it to medical school? another photo shows three men in blackface. rhaeore, we are joined by lynn barnes, an assistant professor of american cultural history at princeton university and author of the forthcoming book "darkology: when the american dream wore blackface." she just wrote a piece for the "washington post" -- "the troubling history behind ralph northam's blackface klan photo." welcome to democracy now! describe your reaction. first day of black history month was friday. that is the day the photo appears. put that photo, your response to and the northam, history of blackface. prof. barnes: thank you for having me. it is important we talk about this longer history. most americans feel very uncomfortable when they see these photographs, but they are not able to articulate why peer

they know this is wrong, but they do not understand the longer history. ironically, this is a blowback from a civil rights victory. what i mean by that is amateur blackface was the number one entertainment form in the late 19th century and early 20th century. blackface was used in schools, federalize during the great depression. during world war ii, every american soldier was given a handbook on how to perform stephen foster music. it was seen as a celebratory form to understand american culture. it was a way to articulate patriotism but also, all the say, performs grotesque forms of african americans. when i saw the photograph, i was not initially surprised, because millions of americans were taught, for most of the 20th century, that this was a positive thing. inever, that photograph was

1980 four, substantialally after the civil rights movement. one thing important to say during black history month is we are focusing so much on the governor, but this story, part of whyhy it is shocking, is mothersevery day black during the civil rigights movemt in the 1950's and 1960's fought to shut down blackface and said this is unacceptable. toy worked with the naacp say this is no longer allowed in schools. and there was a lot of pushback ,o these black mothers especially from the men in the civil rights movement, to focus on voting and anti-lynching. and these mothers said, no, my son was lynched because of blackface. this is the seed of the seed that allows racism to thrive in america, and it needs to be

stopped. they were successful. because of that success, blackface has become so taboo that most immigrants do not know how and why these stereotypes were transmitted to us. but we all know the song "o susanna" and the joke "why did road?"cken cross the which is central to blackface. amy: explain. --f. barnes: stephen foster songs and the american public "omain, "o susanna, actually races." are violent. slaveanna" is about a desperately trying to get back to his family. we think of this song as a piece everyssic americana that

american should know, and this is coming out of the idea in the mid-20th century that blackface was the up enemy of american culture that every american ought to know, which is why people of a certain generation are confused by the backlash now by younger generations and people who were racially conscious since the 1960's after the civil rights movement, because they were taught to believe that this was an accurate representation of african-american lives when itit isis actually the opposite. amy: talk about the difference in reaction to blackface of african-americans from many white americans. prof. barnes: sure. we have seen, even recently, the megyn kelly issue, where she said i grew up with this and it was positive, and i do not understand the issue. a lot of white americans feel that way, who came of age in a moment where this was seen as completely acceptable. what i mean by that -- amy: let me stop you for a second, because i have this clip

. in october, former fox news and nbc journalist megyn kelly sparked outrage when she defended white people using blackface as part of halloween costumes. this is megyn kelly questioning why blackface is considered racist during a discussion with an all-white panel on her morning show "megyn kelly today." >> but what is racist? you get in trouble if you are a white person puts on blackface for halloween or a black person puts on whiteface for halloween. when i was a kid, that was ok. there was a controversy on the real housewives as she dressed as diana ross and made her skin .arker than it really is i do not know how that got racist on halloween. amy: megyn kelly later apologized for the comments amid intense backlash, including from nbc colleague al roker. and she eventually was pushed out of nbc. but expand on that. prof. barnes: yeah, so, one

thing i think is really important to understand is blackface has been intimately linked to every major form of american culture, which is why someone like megyn kelly thinks this is innocuous. for example, the first major film "birth of a nation," the film,talkie, a blackface the first cartoon with super willy,"nd, "steamboat all of that is happening to stephen foster songs and horrific references to minstrelsy. so by the time you get to someone like megyn kelly, you have someone who's great grandparents, grandparents, parents who was raised to believe this is an accurate representation of african-american life, and by

putting on blackface, you are appreciating someone like diana ross. but there is a massive difference between watching something and consuming it passively and physically painting your face, warning how to walk sir typically, imitating dialect, and imitating african-americans in a way that is offensive. --"darkologyology" how toe active learning rep and african-americans in a way that is stereotypical or comical. it was always meant as a way to demean african-americans. i think we cannot lose that. the fact that these were comedy shows. these are things that were always intended to make fun of african americans, not honor them. amy: i want to go back to governor ralph northam's press conference. he said he had a clear memory of not appearing in the yearbook blackface because he had put on

blackface on another occasion when dressing as michael jackson. >> while i did not appear in this photo, i am not surprised by its appearance in the evms yearbook. in the time and place i grew up, many actions which we rightfully recognize as a poor and -- abhorrent today were commonplace. my belief is -- that i did not attend that party stems from my clear memory of otheher mistakei of myhat same period life. that same year, i did participate in a dance conference -- dance contest in san antonioio, in which i darked my face as part of a michael jackson costume. i looook back now and regret tht i did not understand the heart full of -- harmful legacy of an action like that. it is because my memory of that episode is so vivid that i truly do not believe i am in the picture in my yearbook.

you remember these things. the glove, had, a little shoe polish to put on my cheeks. and the reason i used very little was because you cannot get shoe polish off. but it was a dance contest. won the dance contest because i learnened howo do the moonwalk. amy: reported than asked him if he could do the moonwalk. >> can you dance the moonwalk? >> that's right. my wife says in appropriate circumstances. amy: so he looked around if there was space for him to do the moonwalk, but then his wife, the first lady of virginia, suggested he should not. prof. barnes: obviously, this

was pretty disgusting. he has not learneded the depth f embodying that he is when he does these forms. it is important to say, while this news conference is going on, i had hundreds, literally hundreds, of americans who wrote to me on my email account at princeton university say i feel so ashamed and guilty, because when i was a child, i had to participate in a blackface mitchell show in elementary school or junior high. or my mother did this, my grandfather did this, and i found the photos when cleaning out my attic. i have cataloged over 10,000 blackface plays circulated for everyday americans. i have two messages are the first is to everyday americans. you can grow and learn from this moment. and if you were required to do these in school, that is the height of whites of pharmacy and

shows you how systemic this was -- that is the height of white supremacy and shows you how systemic this was. it is different for the governor. he represents the people of v -- here present the people of virginia. is of the population african-american. they want to see themselves and their leaders. you want to believe if there is a natural disaster and your impacted, your governor will see you as a human being. but because blackface is about ridicule and humiliation -- the naacp used the call it a thing apart. it makes african manikins a thing apart from american civilization. that is why the governor should resign. if he does not -- i grew up in the state of california. we had a recall election. the people of virginia have the power. they should stand up. if they want him gone, they should work to do that. amy: rhae lynn barnes, thank you

, assistant professor at princeton university, author of the upcoming book "darkology: when the american dream wore blackface." and we will link to your piece in the "washington post." this is democracy now!. when we come back, for people who experienced the polar vortex, you know how it was. imagine being imprisoned, and the jail you are in has noel adjusted the or heat -- you are in has no amatateur cityty or h. prprisonerss in brooklyn did not have to imagine that. ♪ [music break]

amy: this is democracy now!. i am amy goodman. we end today's show here in new york city, where more than 1600 prisoners at the federal detention center were forced to endure freezing toto purchase during last week's polar vortex with no heat, no light, no hot water for showers, and no hot meals. demonstrators rallied to protest the conditions outside the metropolitan detention center. officials said the lhs of the problem was due to a fire last week. legal aid society said it wrote to the jail's warden on january 22nd, demanding heat the restored. conditions spread

conditionsof the spread, crowds of protesters gathered outside the metropolitan detention center . inmates responded by banging on the jail windows. >> we are here for you. bang on those windows. [banging] >> family members and organizers have been out here since yesterday. many of us slept overnight here in front of mdc. been working with the brothers inside. we asked some questions, and they have been inking on -- banging on the windows. the fact that they can answer questions makes us believe it is

true. some incarcerated folks actually recognized their families ' voices. it was heartbreaking to watch people talking to their family members. they were not wearing shorts. and we know they did not have heat inside the one of the mothers went to confirm that was her son talking to her. she went inside with some folks. next thing you know, the co up,ted beating people pepper spraying the mom. they were throwing people out. it was horrible to watch. wasall the mom wanted to do confirm if that was her son. it's horrible. the warden has been not responsive. yesterday, the mayor's office delivered trucks of blankets. defenders went inside to see

their clients and asked any blankets? they said no. yesterday at 6:00 was our first meal. they do not have hot water. there are people who are not able to have those apnea machines at night, which means they are at risk of stroke. there are people who need medication who h have not had accessss to memedical care. the issue with the famimilies as you do not even know if you family members are alive. >> what surprised me the most in there -- was the disregard to the urgency of what was going on. emergencies happen, but you have a plan. they have no plans and did not seem to care. we asked them about what is going on. the contractor

left and went home. what are you talking about? and gether conontractor this up. we asked the warden why he did not receive the blankets and generator that the office of the emergency manager was excepting. willid that maybe we accept it now that it is an emergency. it was an emergency sunday when it happened. what are you talking about? what is happening there is a microcosm of this country. that man in the white house and the people who continue to support him, all of them, do not even know where the kids are that are separated from the border.

the majority of people here are -- we will shut it down. >> i am here for my brother jason, who has been at mdc the past five years. this condition with the heat is not new. it happened last year. fortunately, he has family that sent him money, and he can buy what he needs to layer up, food and resources. i am here because i want my brother to know i love him, and i do not this problem to continue. if temperatures plummet again, i am worried about his health. we contacted his attorney and demanded he find out what is going on. this has been an ongoing issue. the power went out last year three or four days. it is disgusting.

there are wet mattresses and leaks in the ceiling and things like that. and we can only imagine the vermin and rodents and everything else. it is disgusting. but this has restored my faith in humanity. really made me proud to be a new yorker. no one wants to see human beings suffer. especially when some of the people here have really been convicted of anything, not that that makes a inference, but they are just waiting because they poor and cannot afford bills. amy: voices from the protest outside mdc. p.m., officials said that electricity was restored, but many cells still lack heat.

brad lander is a new york city council member. he is with us now. it has the electricity been restored? brad: it was restored last night at 6:30, around one full week after it happened. it is cold in that facility. amy: how can there have been no plan, with this polar vortex, people freezing inside? brad: no emergency provisions. when the power went out a weeeek ago, they did not act with any urgency. had there been a round-the-clock contractor, the power could have been back tuesday. amy: the mayor's in hundreds of blankets. they did not distribute them? brad: that was from the prison staff, no sense of urgency, no sense that there were human beings in those cells, that needed light. their toilets were in their

cells, they couldn't shower for 48 hours. amy: who is responsible? brad: the federal bureau of prisons. there will be hearings. amy: