Black Virginia voters feel betrayed, left in no-win scenario

(AP) — Eva Siakam’s choice to campaign for Ralph Northam in 2017 was a simple one: He was a Democrat and endorsed by Barack Obama, America’s first black president.But sitting in a stylist’s chair at Supreme Hair Styling Boutique in Richmond on Friday, she shook her head in disgust when asked about revelations that Northam wore blackface 35 years ago.“I really believed in him,” said Siakam, a 28-year-old student. He’s shown his disdain for black people.”Black voters who factored prominently in the 2017 election that helped Northam become Virginia governor are feeling betrayed over the scandals that have engulfed the state over the past week, leaving them with a less-than-ideal set of choices at the top of the Democratic Party: a governor and attorney general who wore blackface and a lieutenant governor who stands accused by two women of sexual assault. Both Northam and Herring campaigned heavily in black areas, and were given entree into many communities by local officials, faith leaders, business owners and regular citizens.Wise said she had reservations about Northam’s commitment to black communities during the election, but supported him anyway and was prepared to hold him accountable amid a racially divided national climate.“We knew Trump had just gotten elected and we needed a Democratic governor in Virginia, especially because of the importance of the state in national elections,” Wise, 34, explained.