I received an email from a reader about a round table on the Tavis Smiley Show. Apparently, Tavis will have a panel discussing Thomas’s book and his appearance on 60 Minutes. Panelists are Marc Morial, President and CEO of The National Urban League, Princeton Professor Cornel West, and Columbia University President, Farah Jasmine Griffin. If you are in New York, the Tavis Smiley Show airs at 12 midnight on PBS. If you are in another market, I’m not sure of the time, but you can check you local PBS station.
Did anyone else see the 60 Minutes interview with Thomas? I thought he came off as really bitter. He kept using the anchor’s name in a pejorative way. It was very uncomfortable from my vantage point. For those interested in abortion and sexual harassment issues, Thomas made the claim that the controversy surrounding his appointment was really about abortion. The panel on the Tavis Smiley Show will discuss this issue in some depth.
Now I feel silly for not thinking of drawing Evil Bunny in!
Check out Anita Hill’s piece in the NYT today. So glad to hear from her!
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/opinion/02hill.html?hp
Phil Nugent also had something. to say
I think something is very wrong inside of clarence thomas. Instead of celebrating life and encouraging youngsters that they can overcome, the book seems to be a angry diatribe against many. No one makes it on their own, I don’t care what race, color, creed, gender, or politics you are from. Mr. Thomas had help: the nuns who taught him, the government which opened a door for him to be employed, and last but not least the very community which clarence thomas comes from, the African-American community he has distanced himself from. It was those sons and daughters of slaves who in the face of great opposition,and marginalization built schools, churches, unions, businesses and the organizations which would march and advocate civil rights and justice for all(which includes the NAACP Thomas so disdains). Now, Thomas says his yale degree isn’t worth fifteen cents. Amazing. An angry man sits on the bench of the supreme court,and while in office writes a bitter autobiography against his community, and others. I do not hate Clarence Thomas. The pressures of bigotry are ongoing and affects a man from the cradle to the grave. Thomas needs a healing and in my prayers, I will daily interceed for this man’s soul and mind. He can still turn out to be a great, and wise, and prudent justice. Right now, though, he comes off as a hurting, bitter,and frightening individual