A year after it opened, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is finally featured in the National Museum of African American History and Culture. He, along with Justice Thurgood Marshall, is highlighted in a new exhibit about the Supreme Court. Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court justice, was on the court from October 1967 until October 1991, when he was replaced by Thomas. The exhibit was installed on Sunday.
Previously, the museum only included a mention Anita Hill, who accused Thomas of sexual harassment during his confirmation hearings.
The new exhibit includes a picture of Thomas, and a magazine where he appeared on the cover.
Linda St. Thomas, chief spokeswoman for the Smithsonian Institution, said the exhibit includes a picture of Justice Thomas, the cover of Jet magazine on which he appeared in 1991 and the inscription, “Clarence Thomas: From Seminary School to Supreme Court.”
She said the museum is “evolving and other things will change over time.”
The Smithsonian faced an intense backlash last year over Justice Thomas’ absence from the museum.
I mean, it's about time this oversight was corrected. Thomas has been an important figure on the Supreme Court in the 26 years he's served on the bench, and it seems very strange that he would be excluded from this museum. His story--rising from poverty in Georgia (and growing up without indoor plumbing!) to attend college and Yale Law School before being appointed to the Supreme Court--is incredibly inspiring, regardless of his politics. He more than deserves to be featured in this museum.
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