I woke up this morning

And I tried to be woke

I woke up this morning

And I tried to be woke

Seems I’ll never really know

The souls of black folk

Ralph Northam, 21st Century Schizoid Blues

Seriously, he’s a nearly 60-year-old upper class white guy from Virginia.  You’re basically trying to teach a chimp to land a 747.

ETA: As various commenters have pointed out, Northam’s statement is technically correct.  Bloix:

They were indentured servants, as were white indentured servants during that period. They could earn wages and buy their freedom and they did. Race-based chattel slavery for life was not made legal in Virginia until 1661.
The wikipedia article is pretty good on this. It notes that in 1650 there were 300 African indentured labors and 3000 white indentured laborers in Virginia. It says that “most historians” date legal race-based slavery in VIrginia to the 1660s, although signs of it began to emerge by the 1640s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wi…
Do the research, and then post your correction.

Under the circumstances, Northam’s statement is still a tribute to how poor his instincts are in regard to these matters.  He’s not going to resign however, so at this point it is what it is.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam: "We are now at the 400-year anniversary — just 90 miles from here in 1619. The first indentured servants from Africa landed on our shores in Old Point Comfort, what we call now Fort Monroe, and while—"@GayleKing: "Also known as slavery" pic.twitter.com/AiX96MU1rJ

— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) February 10, 2019