Ted Cruz: African American Museum Should Include Clarence Thomas Exhibit

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) says that the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture should include Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in its exhibits.

“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 said Monday in a letter to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Critics complained about Thomas’s lack of visibility in the exhibits when the museum opened in September, along with the first black Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall.

They also said that Anita Hill, who accused Thomas of sexual harassment, received more attention than Thomas.

Cruz, along with six other GOP senators, introduced a resolution that said Thomas should have a “prominent place” in the museum, the Hill reported.

“In a quarter century, Justice Thomas has carved out one of the more profound and unique legacies in the court’s history,” Cruz added.

Cruz said Thomas’s character and achievements deserve a permanent place in our nation’s historical record.

“I became deeply disturbed upon learning that Justice Thomas’s moving story and incredible contributions to the country are not even mentioned, much less discussed in detail, in the new museum,” Cruz said. He added:

I fully understand that a museum cannot include every bit of relevant information, nor can it tell every tale. But, with all due respect, Justice Thomas’s story is not just any other story. Rather, it is a story uniquely compelling in the annals of United States history, African-American or otherwise.

Linda St. Thomas, a spokeswoman for the Smithsonian, told CNSNews.com that Thomas is an African American with “compelling personal stories,” but added that the museum “cannot tell every story in [their] inaugural exhibitions” after opening this year.