The Root: Clarence Thomas the Mugabe of the Court

Over at The Root, where Slate magazine sequesters black journalists, Michael Arceneaux decides it's time to excommunicate certain undesirables from the African-American brotherhood. Because "while we love our own," he writes, "we sure do dream of erasing a few of them from the history books." I know the feeling, Michael. There are lots of embarrassing white people I'd like to Stalinize from history too—Ulrike Meinhof, Calvin Schiraldi, Yngwie Malmsteen.

So who makes the list? D.C. Sniper John Allen Muhammad? Check. Ugandan murderer Idi Amin? Of course. And obviously the sinister dictators Papa Doc, Baby Doc, Robert Mugabe, and Rafael Trujillo are represented (though Mengistu, oddly, gets a pass). Let's see. Who else? Oh. How about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas?

Obviously.

As Radley Balko points out, it is also odd that Arceneaux chooses to quote Zora Neale Hurston in his intro, for her often conservative politics would likely merit inclusion in The Root's list of apostate blacks.

Tip of the hat to Dave Weigel and Phil Klein.

Damon Root wrote about Thomas's silence on the bench earlier today.