New Smithsonian museum ignores Justice Thomas legacy, despite focus on Anita Hill
By Bill Mears Published October 10, 2016
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016...nita-hill.html
Justice Clarence Thomas marks his 25th anniversary on the Supreme Court this month, and befitting the man, it likely will be a low-key affair.
But while Thomas has broken barriers his entire professional life without seeking the limelight, the 68-year-old justice is being conspicuously ignored by a powerful new showplace for black heritage. The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened last month in Washington – and missing from the four floors of exhibits is any reference to Thomas' personal and judicial legacy, shocking for perhaps the second most powerful black political figure in America, after President Obama.
"Justice Thomas is the longest-serving black justice in our history, he's amassed over 500 opinions," said Mark Paoletta, a longtime friend who helped shepherd his nomination as a White House lawyer. "And yet you would learn nothing of that in this museum, and that's a shame."
What the museum does have is a prominent display of Anita Hill, who accused Thomas of creating a hostile work environment while her supervisor at a federal agency. She outlined her allegations during Thomas' 1991 confirmation hearings, and the candid discussion rocked the nation.
The museum panel has a picture of Hill speaking, with the caption, "Her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee provoked serious debates on sexual harassment, race loyalty, and gender roles."
Another section notes, "Outraged by Hill's treatment by the all-male Senate committee, women's groups organized campaigns to elect more women to public office." The exhibit also includes a pink button from the era: "I believe Anita Hill."
But it contains no pictures, quotes or memorabilia from the justice himself....