Clarence Thomas gave an interesting interview on 60 Minutes this week...and he covered everything from his upbringing to his thoughts on race. I learned some interesting things that I had not known about the man. He is definitely an interesting character and he remains as controversial as ever.
Since I have gotten older I find myself falling somewhere in the middle on Thomas. On one hand I find his vehement opposition to all forms of affirmative action as being a little hypocritical. I myself don't like the idea of affirmative action in certain forms, such as quotas for example. However, affirmative action in its most healthy form reaches out to more minority workers, provides better access to interviews and knocks down barriers so that minorities can compete on a more even playing field. That kind of affirmative action (outreach, etc) is healthy. Quotas are not. And when it comes to affirmative action in education, I am more open to providing minorities with a shot. Although, again... I don't support such decisions being made simply on the basis of filling a quota. The student should show the ability to perform. But Thomas seems to reject all affirmative action and sees all of it as something negative, even though he benefited from it. In other words, it was as if he was saying that he regretted his success...or that he regretted the path that he took to become successful.
I am also more sympathetic to his views on being pigeonholed or put in a box and being expected to act, and think a certain way (by all, but especially by other Black Americans), simply based on having brown skin. Personally, I have always hated that.
On the other hand, he seems to understand the place that African Americans hold in history and understands the Black struggle and the struggle of the poor, and claims to help the poor & disadvantaged, yet his actions on the Court don't seem to correspond with his own understanding of (and experiences with) that struggle.
I also never believed that he was the best qualified person for the job of Supreme Court Justice, nor the best qualified African American. He was a candidate of convenience. As the 60 Minutes interview points out, there did not seem to be a serious competitive process for the position. George H. W. Bush (much more intelligent, and savvy than his dreadful Son), seems to have made a strategic choice of sorts by picking Thomas. Bush needed to put a Black face on his Conservative agenda. But then again, I wonder if Thomas was even the best qualified Black Conservative at the time.
As you can see, (as I mentioned) I fall somewhere in the middle on this man. After seeing the 60 minutes piece I should have been left with a clearer picture about him, but he is even more of a puzzle to me now than he was before.
One positive thing that Thomas (and others like Condoleeza Rice) shows to the American public...is that Black people in this Country are not a monolith...that we don't think alike.
Since I have gotten older I find myself falling somewhere in the middle on Thomas. On one hand I find his vehement opposition to all forms of affirmative action as being a little hypocritical. I myself don't like the idea of affirmative action in certain forms, such as quotas for example. However, affirmative action in its most healthy form reaches out to more minority workers, provides better access to interviews and knocks down barriers so that minorities can compete on a more even playing field. That kind of affirmative action (outreach, etc) is healthy. Quotas are not. And when it comes to affirmative action in education, I am more open to providing minorities with a shot. Although, again... I don't support such decisions being made simply on the basis of filling a quota. The student should show the ability to perform. But Thomas seems to reject all affirmative action and sees all of it as something negative, even though he benefited from it. In other words, it was as if he was saying that he regretted his success...or that he regretted the path that he took to become successful.
I am also more sympathetic to his views on being pigeonholed or put in a box and being expected to act, and think a certain way (by all, but especially by other Black Americans), simply based on having brown skin. Personally, I have always hated that.
On the other hand, he seems to understand the place that African Americans hold in history and understands the Black struggle and the struggle of the poor, and claims to help the poor & disadvantaged, yet his actions on the Court don't seem to correspond with his own understanding of (and experiences with) that struggle.
I also never believed that he was the best qualified person for the job of Supreme Court Justice, nor the best qualified African American. He was a candidate of convenience. As the 60 Minutes interview points out, there did not seem to be a serious competitive process for the position. George H. W. Bush (much more intelligent, and savvy than his dreadful Son), seems to have made a strategic choice of sorts by picking Thomas. Bush needed to put a Black face on his Conservative agenda. But then again, I wonder if Thomas was even the best qualified Black Conservative at the time.
As you can see, (as I mentioned) I fall somewhere in the middle on this man. After seeing the 60 minutes piece I should have been left with a clearer picture about him, but he is even more of a puzzle to me now than he was before.
One positive thing that Thomas (and others like Condoleeza Rice) shows to the American public...is that Black people in this Country are not a monolith...that we don't think alike.
One problem with the program was that the host did not challenge Thomas on his record on the court.
Below is the 60 minutes piece with Justice Thomas (with 2 additional parts). And below that I have included an interesting Roundtable discussion hosted by Tavis Smiley. His guests are Marc Morial, Farah Jasmine Griffin, and Dr. Cornel West.
Part 1
View Part 2
View Part 3
Now for the response from Tavis Smiley and his special PBS Roundtable on Clarence Thomas
Below is the 60 minutes piece with Justice Thomas (with 2 additional parts). And below that I have included an interesting Roundtable discussion hosted by Tavis Smiley. His guests are Marc Morial, Farah Jasmine Griffin, and Dr. Cornel West.
Part 1
View Part 2
View Part 3
Now for the response from Tavis Smiley and his special PBS Roundtable on Clarence Thomas
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