Race Perspectives on the Thomas
Hearings Key questions in terms of race
relations: 1) How does the history of
the Civil Rights movement influence how one views
Clarence Thomas's nomination? Specifically, what
are the arguments for and against Affirmative
Action? Why has this issue become so contested in
the 1990s? Who benefits from it? Who does it
hurt? 2) Why were some
African-Americans upset that Anita Hill testified
against Clarence Thomas? Should an African-American
woman put her allegiance to her race above speaking
out about other transgressions of power? 3) How did African-Americans
feel about Thomas as a replacement for Thurgood
Marshall? How did Marshall's position on
affirmative action compare to Thomas's? Affirmative Action
There are many questions to
consider as you read the sources both on the main page for
this unit and in the related links section below.
Related Links
History 122
Commentary on Race
Supreme Court Justices & Cases