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PANTHER page 5 September 25, 1991 Osur©m<e© | <s <* <} The 411 on the Controversy FACTS: *Vowed not to take any job involving racial issues - only to later accept two from Ronald Reagan *Was born a Baptist, went to a Catholic Seminary an now attends a Episcopal Church 'Is an intense opponent of I affirmative action, yet has benefited from it throughout I his life ‘Status conscious ‘Once embraced the teachings lof Malcolm X and Louis Farrakhan but today his second wife is White and they reside in a predominantly White Virginia suburb *ls on the advisory board of Ithe Lincoln Review, a policy [journal for Black [conservatives that has run articles questioning the [existence of discrimination and suggesting the replacement of the King Holiday with a Icommemorative coin Publicly criticized his |sister for being on welfare 'Objects to Blacks solving |their problems through group [activity ‘Admires Abraham Lincoln IQUOTES: ‘"You hate yourself for being |part of a group(Blacks) that's gotten the hell kicked out of Ithem" I*"I don't fit in with Whites land I don't fit in with Blacks" I*"Civil Rights Leaders don't jo anything but moan and /hine" '"If I ever went to work for the Equal Employment )pportunity Commission or iid anything directly connected with blacks, my career would be irreparably ruined" I*"If people just gave me a phance I think they would see khat my ways are better than [the ways of the past" HE SAID.” He's Not My Uncle By William Blackburn Editorial Editor When I saw that Clarence Thomas had been nominated by President George Bush to replace Thurgood Marshall on the Supreme Court I had to stop and applaud - sarcastically that is. This was probably the smartest move Bush has made since he realized he was actually the President. He nominated a Black man like thousands of us had cried for. So now we couldn't accuse him of not placing Blacks in important positions. But the catch to the nomination was that Thomas was a conservative. How any Black man in 1991 can be a conservative is beyond my wildest imagination. So now Bush has us between a rock and a hard place. If we oppose Uncle Conservative,, we will add fire to the belief that we as Blacks don't support one another ( media stereotype). But-if we don't oppose this nomination then we will have nothing but another puppet in a high position who has forgotten where he came from - section 8. So in a sense give 1 point for Bush for creativity. But the real culprit of this PR charade is Uncle Tom, no I mean Uncle Thomas. A conservative? In 1991? In a time when Black men occupy more jail ceils and homeless shelters than any other place. In a time when 75% of young Black children are being raised by single mothers. In a time when the President vetoes the Civil Rights Bill. In a time when Black neighborhoods resemble war zones. In a time when education, morals and family life are taking a backseat to Nike gym shoes, drugs, and Raiders hats, shirts and jackets as the most prized items in Black neighborhoods. Be serious. Has Uncle Thomas forgotten how our forefathers were bound and shipped over here to work, work and work? How they were whipped, hung and raped. Has he forgotten that the same government system that has treated him so kindly has his sister struggling to survive on welfare with a house full of kids with no father ? Not only has Uncle Thomas forgotten from where he came but he has forgotten who he is. An oreo would be too good of a name for SHE SAID. . . He's Not My Uncle Either Thomas. Uncle Tom is putting it mildly. Sell-out wouldn’t be harsh enough and profanity isn’t allowed in this paper so that eliminates some other strong possibilities. Uncle Thomas is so caught up on the wrong side that it wouldn't be worth calling him anything but "One Gone”. The last thing that we as Blacks need is another puppet in a high position who only moves when ’Massa" tells him to. And a puppet is. exactly what Thomas is. A confused puppet who for some sick reason disapproves of the Affirmative Action program. The same program that got him into college at Holy Cross and Yale. The same program that has him in a position to be on the Supreme Court. The same program that has taken Clarence Thomas to where he is today. Uncle Thomas is a puppet who has gone out of his way not to be classified as Black. Forgetting the very reason he was nominated is because of his skin color. Because we know that he is not the most qualified candidate Bush could have picked. Nor is he the most qualified candidate that we as Blacks would have picked to represent us. Thomas is a shaky character. A model of inconsistency. The life of Uncle Thomas has been a contradictory statement at best. The first part of his life was spent supporting Black issues while the second part has been spent shining the boots of 'Dis Massa’ and 'Dat Massa". Not to mention that along the way he caught 'Jungle Fever’. Clarence Thomas is not the type of individual that is needed on the Supreme Court. He’s an unpredictable, inconsistent and selfish Tom who will go out of his way to please his White counterparts, yet has been brainwashed so bad that he will publicly criticize his sister for being on welfare. Uncle Thomas is the exact opposite of what Thurgood Marshall is, was, and stands for. At 82 years of age, Marshall still would have been more productive than Uncle Thomas will ever be. The worst part of Thomas's nomination is that the position is a lifelong commitment. Thomas is useless to blacks , to the Supreme Court and to the nation. Or in the words of a song I once heard 'You’re No Good, You’re No Good, You're No Good, Baby You’re No Good." By Sheryl Kennedy Editor-in-Chief Tears almost fell from my eyes while listening to my peers, in a classroom setting, toss their comments around the room about Affirmative Action and the appointment of Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court. I remember bitting my tongue until I could taste blood. Their opinions were harsh and some appeared to come straight from a barrel of a loaded nine millimeter. The year is 1991 and all of us are products of parents who were able to become doctors, lawyers and college professors because of Affirmative Action programs. And now the children of Affirmative Action parents want to get rid of or have second thoughts about the one bill that gave our parents a chance to excel and become the first in our race to hold job positions that were always held by Whites. Mr. Thomas didn't make it alone. Our forefathers afforded him this golden opportunity to sit before congress and skin and grin, but he begs to differ. He believes only his hard work allowed him to reach the point where he is now. He views Affirmative Action as a useless means to a successful end. Now just think, a Black man that has benefitted from affirmative action wants to get rid of it. After all that's why he was able to attend the ivory tower of Yale University and get an unquestionable education. He was able to advance during the Reagan administration and now the Bush administration because of Affirmative Action. You and I both know if it were not for Affirmative Action Clarence Thomas would have never been Bush's first choice - let's be honest with ourselves. And since he has stripped Affirmative Action of all its boundless benefits he wants to get rid of it. I guess he wants to block other opportunities for Blacks to get a job other than McDonald's .Now since he is finished with it. What a selfish and thoughtless move. Mr. Thomas is an example of a Black man who has forgotten his past. Believe me without Affirmative Action policies and benefits, your parents along with my parents would still be shuffling and grinning around a lily White plantation trying to make Mr. St. Clair happy. I don't question the talent, skill and wisdom we have as a race, but some others not of our race do. That's why we are told at a very young age we have to be twice as good as the other person in order to get an entry level position because of their doubts. If America had a fair and functional equal opportunity system there would have never been a need for Affirmative Action, but since it doesn't - it’s a necessity. I Clarence Thomas is obviously not the answer to the Black race's problems nor is he the voice of the Black masses, but he is a living example of what can happen to any Black person that loses touch with themselves and their culture. You see I'm fortunate not to have an Uncle Tom in my immediate family, but as a proud member of the Black race I hear they are a few Uncle Toms running loose. I have a good friend who tells me that before you even see an Uncle Tom you can smell one and every time I've watched the hearings on television the last couple of days - I SMELL A TOM! Please become immune to the Uncle Tom syndrome. Vote no to Clarence Thomas.