Alabama Republican Governor Kay Ivey issued an apology last week for participating in a skit in the 1960s while she was in college that involved blackface.
What We Know:
- Ivey said she was made aware of her participation through an audio recording that emerged in an interview with Auburn University student radio with her then-fiancee Ben LaRavia.
- Ivey said, “Even after listening to the tape, I sincerely do not recall either the skit, which occurred at a Baptist Student Union party or the interview itself, both which occurred 52 years ago. Even though Ben is the one on tape remembering the skit — and I still don’t recall ever dressing up in overalls or blackface — I will not deny what is obvious.”
- Democratic State Representative John Rogers asked for Governor Ivey to step down. Rogers said, “If she did that, she is insensitive, she needs to step down because she needs to be the governor of all people.”
- While chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, Terry Lathan said in a statement “we stand with Governor Ivey uniting our state for a greater future.” Lathan goes on to say that the Alabama Republican party fully supports Governor Ivey because she stood up and took ownership over something that occurred 50 years ago.
- In a video message, Governor Ivey expanded her statement to say that she is willing to do all that she can to move forward to show that “Alabama of today is a far cry from the Alabama of the 1960s.”
- President Trump, a day after the scandal broke defended Ivey in a statement to reporters, “I don’t know much about it, but I’ve just seen something come off the wires, but she’s a very high-quality woman, Kay Ivey. Very, very high-quality woman, I can tell you –, and I know she apologized,” Trump said as he left for Camp David.
Do you think the Governor should be punished for her previous actions and comments?
