*A lot of conservatives (both black and white) are having a huge problem with the fact that US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was NOT included in the new National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. which opened on September 24.
Well, actually he’s there, but only as a reference in a video of Anita Hill testifying against him at his confirmation hearings. And a new StandUnited.org petition wants to change the situation.
“Justice Thomas is the longest-serving African American Supreme Court Justice in our nation’s history,” Angela Morabito, senior campaign manager of the website, told CNSNews.com. “StandUnited users are commenting on the petition about how they want to see Smithsonian embrace history, instead of selectively editing it.”
“Justice Thomas has a uniquely American story, in all its complexity – he grew up in the segregated South, and is now the second most powerful African American man in government,” Morabito said. “Petition signers think he deserves credit for his extraordinary contributions to American government and constitutional scholarship.”
The petition, entitled “Director for Smithsonian Museum of African-American Culture and History, Lonnie Bunch III : Don’t Overlook African American Leaders like Justice Clarence Thomas,” has gathered hundreds of signatures since it was launched on Oct. 6 by Megan Thomas (no relation), who lives in Reston, Va.
READ RELATED STORY: PRESIDENT OBAMA SPEAKS AT OPENING OF NEW AFRICAN-AMERICAN MUSEUM; SAYS IT TELLS ‘ESSENTIAL PART’ OF AMERICAN STORY
Here’s what Megan Thomas wrote about launching the petition:
Justice Clarence Thomas is the second black man to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court and a steadfast conservative who protects our closely held freedoms. He has established himself as one of the brightest legal minds of his generation, yet the newly opened National Museum of African American History and Culture fails to include any mention of his numerous accolades. This obvious oversight is even more glaring since this month commemorates Justice Thomas’ 25th anniversary on the Court.
It is obvious politics is what kept Justice Thomas out of the museum. For years, he has been shunned by the liberal black community since he has spoken out against affirmative action. He has written that affirmative action amounts to racial discrimination, and detailed how it worked against him when he was trying to find work as a lawyer.
Curators at the museum singled out Thomas due to his unique views on race and his conservative thought that the federal government is the greatest threat to our individual liberties. The museum highlights people of less noble endeavors, and it is unfathomable to think the curators were not open-minded enough to include all historically significant African Americans, no matter their political beliefs. It is time to call on the museum’s director, Lonnie Bunch III, to include American leaders and conservative thinkers such as Justice Clarence Thomas.
You can read/learn MORE and see the petition letter at CNSNews.
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