Texas Sen. Ted Cruz urged the Smithsonian Institution to fix the “mistake” the senator said the National Museum of African American History and Culture made in its depiction of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Thomas, the second African-American Supreme Court Justice in U.S. history, is only briefly noted in a fleeting reference to Anita Hill’s testimony from his confirmation hearing. Hill accused Thomas of sexual harassment while attempting to derail his confirmation to the high court.
Cruz urged the museum to reconsider its portrayal of Thomas in a letter to Smithsonian leaders Monday.
“As much as I am grateful for the museum and its efforts to preserve and promote the indispensable, yet oft-neglected, contributions of African Americans to the collective history of our nation, I believe the museum has made a mistake by omitting the enormous legacy and impact of Justice Thomas, as well as his compelling background,” Cruz wrote. “To be clear, I am not petitioning for a partisan hagiography of Justice Thomas, nor am I asking that everything critical of him be excluded. I am simply requesting that a fair and accurate portrayal of his powerful story be included, for the great benefit of millions of future museum-goers.”
Cruz suggested that one way to rectify the issue would be to develop a “balanced display” featuring Thomas alongside Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court justice.
Cruz, who clerked for former Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist from 1996 to 1997, added that Thomas is “is well known behind the scenes as one of the most jovial, down-to-earth and gracious personalities to ever don the robe.”
Thomas’ exclusion from the museum outraged lawmakers when the museum opened in September, including GOP Rep. Tim Huelskamp who argued that Thomas’ exclusion from the museum displayed “racism” by “the Left.” The museum’s opening that neglected Thomas came just before his 25th anniversary on the high court.
