OVER A decade ago, after Anita Hill accused him of sexual assault, many Americans thought poorly of Clarence Thomas. But luckily people like Monica Lewinsky came along, and Thomas and what's-her-face took the backseat to more important political scandals. And yet, there is still a specific, vocal group of people who not only would prefer that Thomas leave the Supreme Court, but don't really like him as a person.
The Washington Post Magazine ran an article last month that recounted prominent and not-so-prominent black Americans' reactions to Thomas' general character ("Supreme discomfort," Aug. 4). The consensus was clear: They don't like him. His voting record, not his sex life, alienates this faction of constituents. That's understandable. Political opinions always deserve detractors. What's problematic is that Thomas isn't your average conservative that liberals love to hate -- the unpopularity of his political stance is compounded immeasurably by the fact that he is black. It's wrong, it's racist. Thomas should be judged on his judicial decisions alone -- race should not be a factor in Americans' opinion of him.
Plenty of liberal whites aren't fans of Thomas' opinions, either. Thomas' voting record doesn't give them much to be happy about. He's dissented against aggressive affirmative action, race-based advancement, minority voting districts -- the works. But black Americans particularly harbor a much deeper hatred for him specifically because of their shared race. Some of his measures merit approval, and others censure, but it is irrelevant to the issue. There are other Supreme Court justices who hold an equally, if not more conservative stance, on these topics. But the backlash from the black community is reserved unfairly for Thomas.
Blacks call him an "Uncle Tom," a sell-out to his race. As Harriet Beecher Stowe's title character remained voluntarily subservient to the white man, some think Thomas has too. Worse, he's been accused of experiencing an identity crisis and self-hatred due to his race. The attitude that Thomas is a hypocrite, not Thomas himself, is the problem with America's racial climate.
Thomas' presence on the Supreme Court is a laudable accomplishment. And for those race-minded folks that are keeping score, that's one more black person who has achieved a powerful and distinguished position in the national government. But many Americans, especially blacks, are not capable of seeing Thomas out of the context of race. Thomas' vote against, for example, increased funding for minority dominated schools holds no more weight in the Supreme Court than Rehnquist's, a white counterpart. Thomas should be no more offensive to black liberals than his white counterparts.
The term black conservative is simply not an oxymoron. Assuming that all black people think alike is racist. Race does not and should not bind people innately in a shared mentality. Opposition to affirmative action and other race-based policies is not tantamount to opposition to minorities. On the contrary, many people oppose affirmative action because they find it detrimental to those it is supposed to help. Thomas feels that emphasizing race is limiting. Throughout his career, he has tried to shun positions given to him based on his race, preferring to emphasize his merit. According to The Washington Post Magazine article, he once said, "It's not that I'm against the advancement of the race, it's that our strategy for advancement has got to change."
Black America is constantly looking for leaders to specifically advocate the "black cause" and, in many cases, nothing else. Thomas has never wanted this position. He may not be a "leader of blacks," but he is a leader who is black. Because he does not choose to promote traditional "black issues" that appeal to liberals does not preclude his status as an advocate. Minority public figures are overly concerned with race issues. Expecting minority politicians and professionals to prioritize these is not fair to anyone. White leaders are not restricted by any such requirements: They have much more freedom in choosing to follow the issues that most matter to them.
The University could learn this lesson as well. Minorities are more likely to forego running for Honor Committee chairman or Student Council president in favor of head of the Asian Student Union or the Black Student Alliance. Maybe we decide to belong to interested factions, but our race should never automatically put us in one.
We need to eradicate ridiculous epithets like "Uncle Tom" from our society. Hate Clarence Thomas all you want, but hate him for the reasons that matter, not for some abstract notion of how a member of a certain race is supposed to act. His title does not need to be qualified with an adjective as irrelevant as his race.
(Kimberly Liu's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at kliu@cavalierdaily.com.)
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