William L. “Bill†Clay Sr., Missouri’s first black member of Congress, has written a book attacking Clarence Thomas, the only sitting African-American on the Supreme Court.
“Clarence Thomas: A Black Knight in Tainted Armor†is harsh criticism, even from an outspoken politician like Clay. Clay, 83, grew up in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½â€™ ward politics before spending 32 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Clay says Thomas and others like him are ruining the country.
Thomas, Clay says, joined with four other “radical reactionaries†on the court, creating a majority that he says represents the sentiments of “un-Reconstructed Jefferson Davis rebels.â€
“He’s been a major source of embarrassment to those who believe that all people are equal,†Clay told the Post-Dispatch.
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As to why he wrote the book now, Clay says he wanted to speak out about the Supreme Court’s retreat on the rights of minorities, blacks, Hispanics and women.
In one passage, Clay writes about the 2013 decision invalidating a component of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and opening “the flood gates for the resumption of mischievous gimmicks used previously to disfranchise millions of African Americans.â€
He also accuses Thomas, 66, and his allies of using deception to gain confirmation in 1991.
Many blacks were lulled into thinking that Thomas wouldn’t be substantially different from his predecessor, the late Thurgood Marshall. Before serving on the high court, Marshall filed many lawsuits for the NAACP, playing a major role in ridding the country of “white only†signs in public places.
The other major villain in Clay’s book is former Sen. John C. Danforth. He recruited Thomas out of Yale Law School to work as an assistant Missouri attorney general. Thomas left briefly to join Monsanto before following Danforth, a Republican, to Washington.
In short order, Danforth sponsored Thomas for jobs as assistant U.S. secretary for civil rights, chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and a judgeship on the federal court of appeals in Washington, where he served just 14 months before President George H.W. Bush picked him for the Supreme Court.
In Clay’s view, Thomas lacked legal qualifications for the high court and also “was tied to the apron strings of a crowd that practiced racism and preached white supremacy.â€
Danforth is an ordained Episcopal priest, and Thomas spoke proudly of his spiritual upbringing. Clay writes that Thomas “hijacked the Bible†to garner support during his brutal nomination fight.
During televised Senate hearings, the nation watched Anita Hill accuse Thomas of sexually harassing her. Danforth said he considered retaliating by peddling a story that Hill suffered from something he called “erotomania.â€
In his own book, “Resurrection: The Confirmation of Clarence Thomas,†Danforth acknowledges that he “fought dirty,†but says it was justified because of the lies being told about Thomas.
The proceeds from this, Clay’s sixth book, will go to the William L. Clay Scholarship (wlcsrf.org). It has raised $5.6 million during 30 years to send 300 students from the 1st Congressional District to college.
William L. Clay
When • 7 p.m. Thursday
Where • Central Library, 1301 Olive Street (Carnegie Room)
How much • Free
More info • 314-241-2288
When • 2 p.m. Friday
Where • William L. Clay Sr. Early Childhood Development/Parenting Education Center Foyer, Harris-Stowe State University, 3026 Laclede Avenue
How much • Free
More info • 314-340-3366
‘Clarence Thomas: A Black Knight in Tainted Armor’
By William (Bill) Clay
Published by Cecil Williams Publishing, 380 pages, $24.95
