Last week, a protester held up a racist sign at an event attended by Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, who is currently running for governor. The incident occurred during an Arlington County school board meeting, where the sign read: “Hey Winsome, if trans can’t share your bathroom, then Blacks can’t share my water fountain.”
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate in the gubernatorial race, issued a limited response to the incident through her campaign.
Following this event, Robert Johnson, billionaire co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), donated $500,000 to Sears’ campaign. According to Politico, “Robert Johnson, the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, has donated $500,000 to GOP Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ campaign for governor after she was targeted by a racist sign at a recent campaign rally” (https://t.co/fs8eBzcRxJ).
Sears’ campaign confirmed that Johnson made the donation and criticized the individual who displayed the sign at the school board meeting. In a statement provided by her campaign, Johnson said: “Madam Lt. Governor, I was so appalled by the racist diatribe displayed by a useful idiot at a recent press event that I choose to show all the voters of Virginia how Black Brothers stand up to defend and support Black Sisters when confronted with unadulterated racism. I have always been a good investor and that’s why I’m investing in you.”
A spokesperson for Johnson and RLJ Companies did not respond to requests for comment.
Recent polling indicates that while Abigail Spanberger had been leading in the race for several weeks, Winsome Sears has significantly narrowed the gap over the past ten days.
