Black History and Higginbotham's Open Letter To Clarence Thomas

(Thomas, above left, Marshall at the above right, and in the black and white tight here, Higginbotham is second from the left.)

It's been a minute- but hey, February's a busy month, yo! But we're right back at you with a little more Black History on the contemporary tip. Peep game.

In January of 1992, Aloyisus Leon Higginbotham, Jr. wrote: An Open Letter to Clarence Thomas From A federal Judicial Colleague. Mr. Higginbotham, Jr. was born February 25th, 1928 and passed December 14, 1998, at the age of 70. He was a prominent African American, civil rights advocate and Chief Justice on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The publishing of The Open Letter to Thomas published by the University of Pennsylvania Law Review ignited a maelstrom of conversation regarding race relations and equality with regards to the newly appointed Judge Clarence Thomas.

A series of instances struck a social nerve in the African American community, as well as the country at large, regarding sexism, racism, and the theory of African American self-hatred:

In 1991, Thomas was appointed to the Supreme Court, a lifetime seating to the highest court in the land, by Republican President George H. W. Bush, Sr.
One hallmark of Thomas’ was his conservative ‘originalism’ interpretation of law by looking to exact phrasing of the law’s text as the “surest guide to it’s meaning.”
He was African American and had a white spouse.
He was taking the place of retired and revered African American civil rights juggernaut, Thurgood Marshall.
And toward the end of his confirmation hearings, Anita Hill (African American) testified against Thomas’ appointment alleging that he had subjected her to harassingly inappropriate comments. Angela Wright (also African American) had also made similar allegations, but declined to testify against him.

These instances which came together in the Fall of 1991 incited bumper stickers emblazoned with slogans like “I believe you Anita!” But the most significant point of contention to Clarence Thomas’ appointment was that he was a far cry from the man he was replacing, Thurgood Marshall. The situation is akin the the recent seating of Senator Roland Burris to by impeached Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich, to Barack Obama’s vacation of the Senate (...as he is now our first African American President of the United States!)

Now g’wan get you some education and read, An Open Letter to Clarence Thomas From A federal Judicial Colleague at:
www.rbvincent.com/pdf.files/Thomas_Higginbotham.pdf


THIS HAS BEEN A BIRDS WHO LIKE POMEGRANATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT