Learning from
our mistakes
(c) 2016
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is someone who benefitted from affirmative action as a student, but who has sided against affirmative action programs as a jurist. He is someone who benefitted from the Civil Rights Movement’s accomplishments, but someone who has sided with archconservative justices hell-bent on dismantling those accomplishments.
Yet, Blacks once supported Clarence Thomas. During his nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, a majority of Blacks rallied around Thomas. Ironically, Thomas succeeded Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African American appointed to the Supreme Court. Ironic because Marshall’s entire career was devoted to civil rights and advancing the cause of freedom, justice, and equality for our people. You can’t say that about Thomas.
During his bitter confirmation hearings, which captured the nation’s attention much like the O.J. Simpson trial, Thomas had to defend himself against sexual harassment charges made by Anita Hill, a former co-worker.
At the time, the black community lambasted Hill and accused her of trying to “take a brother down.” Our community was stuck in a “skin analysis” mode. We look at Thomas’ color and assumed that because he was black he would be in solidarity with the black community. That assumption was obviously wrong.
Too often, as a group, we fail to look beyond another black person’s color. We make the same mistakes in politics, business, black leadership, and elsewhere. We should ask ourselves what positive things have this person done or is doing to advance the black community. We should ask if that person’s actions are a positive, legal and moral before we give our unqualified support. This could apply to Ben Carson as well.
Looking back at Clarence Thomas and the support he received from the black community, have we learned from our mistakes?
our mistakes
(c) 2016
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is someone who benefitted from affirmative action as a student, but who has sided against affirmative action programs as a jurist. He is someone who benefitted from the Civil Rights Movement’s accomplishments, but someone who has sided with archconservative justices hell-bent on dismantling those accomplishments.
Yet, Blacks once supported Clarence Thomas. During his nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, a majority of Blacks rallied around Thomas. Ironically, Thomas succeeded Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African American appointed to the Supreme Court. Ironic because Marshall’s entire career was devoted to civil rights and advancing the cause of freedom, justice, and equality for our people. You can’t say that about Thomas.
During his bitter confirmation hearings, which captured the nation’s attention much like the O.J. Simpson trial, Thomas had to defend himself against sexual harassment charges made by Anita Hill, a former co-worker.
At the time, the black community lambasted Hill and accused her of trying to “take a brother down.” Our community was stuck in a “skin analysis” mode. We look at Thomas’ color and assumed that because he was black he would be in solidarity with the black community. That assumption was obviously wrong.
Too often, as a group, we fail to look beyond another black person’s color. We make the same mistakes in politics, business, black leadership, and elsewhere. We should ask ourselves what positive things have this person done or is doing to advance the black community. We should ask if that person’s actions are a positive, legal and moral before we give our unqualified support. This could apply to Ben Carson as well.
Looking back at Clarence Thomas and the support he received from the black community, have we learned from our mistakes?