John Blake at CNN inexplicably took a run at Clarence Thomas yesterday. Blake's writing usually has the gravitas and thoroughness that few of his peers seem to posses.
You can read the whole article, but it boils down to one sentence: Clarence Thomas is a hypocrite.
Now, just for argument's sake, let's say that Clarence Thomas is a hypocrite. Why does that bother John Blake so much? When I think of Black Leaders that are hypocrites, I immediately think of Jesse Jackson.
Jesse Jackson was an esteemed Reverend, Civil Rights Pioneer, and former Presidential Candidate.
But he was also a shake-down artist and had an out-of-wedlock child with a staffer, then tried to pay her through his Civil Rights Non-Profit. There are a number of books out there revealing the skeletons in Jesse Jackson's closet.
Now can you think of anything more hypocritical than a married reverend having an out-of-wedlock child? I cannot. Did Jackson resign from being a reverend? He did not. Did he resign from his non-profit? He did not. (Technically he did, but not until this year, citing his advanced age.) Did he resign as a member of the Democrat Party? He did not.
As late as the year 2020, John Blake continued to praise Jesse Jackson. What Blake SHOULD have said is "some sins are so hypocritical, you cannot look past them."
Do you know why John Blake could look past Jackson's moral failings? Because they both played on the same political team.
Instead of championing Clarence Thomas as an African-American success story, John Blake's subtext is that Clarence Thomas isn't the right "type" of Black Man.
Imagine me writing that a government official isn't the right "type" of White Man.
I wouldn't have even minded Blake's article if he simply told the truth.
Here's Why Many Black People Despise Clarence Thomas. (It's Because He's a Conservative.)
I'm disappointed in John Blake.
I would argue Clarence Thomas is one of the top two or three most powerful Black Men in government today.
CNBC: 23 Black Leaders Shaping History Today Is Clarence Thomas on that list? No.
CNN: 28 Profiles in Black Perseverance Is Clarence Thomas on that list? No.
Homestead Funding Corp: 10 Black Leaders Making History Today Is Clarence Thomas on that list? No.
The Hill: Black Americans Shaping a New America Is Clarence Thomas on that list? No...
I looked through the first 2 dozen links for Black Leaders Who are Shaping History Today on the search engine, none of those lists included Clarence Thomas.
I mean, how can so many different writers miss Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas?
You want to criticize me because I turned this into a race issue? Re-read that John Blake article headline. The general rule of thumb is to be weary of writers who claim to speak for their race.
Let's see, what white politician do I not like....
Okay, I think Matt Gaetz is as slippery as an eel with a face not even a mother could trust. Imagine I rolled out of bed with this headline:
Here’s Why So Many White People Despise Matt Gaetz. (It’s Not Because He’s a Conservative.)
That headline doesn't make Matt Gaetz look like an idiot, that headline would make ME look like the idiot.
And again, my blog is a tiny blip on the media radar. CNN is, arguably, the world's biggest news agency.
You think my article is shady because I don't actually defend Clarence Thomas? That's because Clarence Thomas' feet SHOULD be held to the fire. ProPublica does an EXTRAORDINARY job of outlining Thomas' ethical quandaries. The article is a mile long and cited to the hilt. What the ProPublica article doesn't do is mention race.
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