Clarence Thomas Is Conspicuously Absent In The New Black History Smithsonian

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Daily Caller:

Justice Clarence Thomas, the second black man to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, is practically absent from the new National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Anita Hill, the woman who accused Thomas of sexual harassment, however, is given prominent billing in the museum.

The new Smithsonian, which opened in September, gives Hill pride of place in an exhibit on blacks in the 1990s. The exhibit features testimonies trumpeting her courage and the surge of women’s activism that ensued, while making only peripheral reference to the nation’s second black Supreme Court justice.

There is no showcase of Thomas’s own life and career, which ran its own harsh gauntlet of racial discrimination.

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Smithsonian on Why Clarence Thomas is Not in New African American Museum: ‘We Cannot Tell Every Story’

 

(CNSNews.com) – The new Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture’s tagline is “powerful moments in African American history, culture, and community,” but the museum – with a $540 million price tag funded 50 percent by U.S. taxpayers and with a collection of more than 36,000 artifacts and 100,000 people represented – doesn’t include many prominent blacks, including Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Edward Brooke, a Republican who became the first African American to be elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote in 1966.

After touring the new museum and exploring the website, which contains information on all the exhibitions in it, CNSNews.com asked the Smithsonian Institute why Thomas, Brooke and eight other prominent men and women are not included in the museum.

 

CNSNews.com asked: “Many prominent African Americans are not included in the museum, most notably Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas … Can [the institute say] why Thomas and the others listed below are not a part of the museum exhibits?”

 

Linda St. Thomas, chief spokesperson for the Smithsonian, replied:

 

“There are many compelling personal stories about African Americans who have become successful in various fields, and, obviously, Associate Justice Thomas is one of them,” St. Thomas said in an email. “However, we cannot tell every story in our inaugural exhibitions.

 

“We will continue to collect and interpret the breadth of the African American experience,” St. Thomas said.

 

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/penny-starr/smithsonian-wont-explain-why-prominent-conservative-african-americans-not

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Smithsonian, Responding to Criticism, Now Mentions Clarence Thomas, But Only in a Footnote to Anita Hill

 

(CNSNews.com) – In response to a letter from lawmakers demanding to know why Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is not included in the new National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian responded that it has added a caption to Anita Hill’s representation in the museum.

 

The caption reads: “Anita Hill accused a nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas, of sexual harassment. Her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee provoked serious debates on sexual harassment, race loyalty, and gender roles. Thomas denied the allegations and went on to be confirmed by the Senate, becoming the second African American to serve on the Supreme Court.”

 

Mary Carpenter, communications director for Rep. Buddy Carter (D-Ga.), who spearheaded the letter to Smithsonian Secretary David Skorton, told CNSNews.com that Carter finds the response unacceptable.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/penny-starr/smithsonians-response-lawmakers-criticism-clarence-thomas-museum-omission

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Congress Demands Black History Smithsonian Include Clarence Thomas

 

A group of legislators led by Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn introduced a resolution Monday demanding the National Museum of African American History and Culture include Justice Clarence Thomas in its exhibits.

 

A corresponding resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Earl “Buddy” Carter and Pete Sessions, and cosponsored by a dozen others.

 

It was reported in October that the nation’s second black Supreme Court justice — who will also soon become its longest-serving black justice — was not included in the new museum.

 

“Justice Thomas’s humble beginnings, brilliant mind, and indelible contributions to American jurisprudence are nothing short of remarkable. His omission from the National Museum of African American History and Culture is troubling and reflects a disregard for the historical significance of his service to our country,” Cornyn said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate and the Smithsonian to hopefully correct this.”

http://dailysignal.com/2016/12/06/congress-demands-black-history-smithsonian-include-clarence-thomas/