Del. Candi Mundon King, D-Prince William, was recently targeted with a racial slur by an anonymous social media account. Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears publicly condemned the post, but House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, and Mundon King are calling for more than statements. They say Republican leaders must follow their words with action.
“So original!” Mundon King said in response to the slur directed at her. “This is what Black elected officials have to face for simply doing our jobs. I will wait for Gov. Glenn Youngkin to condemn this…”
Youngkin posted later in the day, condemning the attack.
“It’s disgusting and just plain wrong,” he wrote. “We should have robust debates about public policy, but all Virginians need to stand up against racist attacks.”
Earle-Sears, who is the Republican nominee for governor, followed shortly after Youngkin with her own statement.
“As a Black woman who has stood up to the KKK, I know exactly what it means to face hate head-on,” Earle-Sears tweeted. “The racial slur used against a member of our General Assembly is vile and beneath the dignity of our Commonwealth. Hiding behind anonymity does not make hate speech any less disgusting. It only proves the cowardice of the person behind it.”
Scott responded critically to Earle-Sears’ statement on Tuesday, saying many of her followers promote racist rhetoric.
“Your followers love to use their racist language towards us, but guess what, we ain’t going nowhere!!” Scott wrote. “After emboldening your followers to attack Black achievement under the guise of anti-DEI and after attacking the teaching of black history instead of talking about the KKK—you should admit that these are your followers and ask them to stop with the racist attacks, but you won’t.”
Scott referenced specific actions by Youngkin that contradict anti-racist statements.
“You were silent when the governor just vetoed the bill to end the Confederate tax subsidies that continue to promote the ideals of the Confederacy! Spare us,” Scott wrote.
Mundon King applauded Scott for his statement.
“Thanks Mr. Speaker! Many have asked why the Gov/LG released statements w/o saying my name,” Mundon King wrote. “It’s simple: these are their supporters who use racist language towards Black legislators who don’t worship at the altar of Trump. I appreciate the words, but actions speak louder.”
The exchange underscores ongoing frustrations among Black lawmakers who say they are too often left to confront racism without meaningful support.
Scott and Mundon King want Virginia’s Republican leaders to confront the racism within their own ranks—or be considered complicit in its persistence.