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Strange Justice, The Selling of Clarence Thomas
by Jane Mayer and Jill Abramson
| Almost ten years ago, millions of Americans sat in front of their television
sets watching the Senate Judiciary Hearings. At issue was whether or not to
confirm Judge Clarence Thomas for a seat on the Supreme Court. The viewing
public sat on the edge of their seats taking sides, whether to believe the
charges Anita Hill brought forth. Was Clarence Thomas guilty of sexual
harassment? Who was telling the truth? I, too, couldn't decide and like many
African Americans, I cringed at the sight of a black man and a black woman
airing their dirty laundry in public. Regardless of his guilt or innocence,
wasn't it more important to have an African American on the highest court in the
land than to have the seat go to someone of another race?
Recently I read Strange Justice, The Selling of Clarence Thomas by Jane Mayer and Jill Abramson. Published in 1994, shortly after Thomas was confirmed to the Supreme Court, the book details Judge Thomas’s life from childhood in Pin Point, Ga. through law school, his work at EEOC, and finally his nomination. Likewise it chronicles Anita Hill’s life beginning in Oklahoma up to her appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee at Judge Thomas’s confirmation hearing. What will strike the reader is the political machinations that went on behind the scenes to firstly, push Clarence Thomas's career forward, and secondly, to secure his confirmation to the Supreme Court. More alarming is the length to which his proponents go to dispose of any opposition to the nomination, in particular, to discredit Anita Hill. The investigative reporters did a thorough job presenting a detailed picture of this event whose impact we have yet to know. The book is intriguing and moves with the speed of a good suspense novel. Even knowing the outcome does not take away from this compelling account. It is a must-read for those interested in politics, and recent history. It is also a must-read for those of us who sat before our television sets choosing up sides, trying to decide who was telling the truth, Judge Thomas or Anita Hill. |
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