Clarence Thomas: Blacks No Longer Need the Voting Rights Act

A key part of the landmark Voting Rights Act survives a constitutional challenge in the Supreme Court and only Justice Clarence Thomas—the court's lone black justice—found the provision unconstitutional.

The 8-1 decision in Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District Number One v. Holder (pdf) declined to overturn Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that requires federal approval for any changes in election laws or redistricting decisions in nine states, mostly in the South.

The Washington Post notes during oral arguments, the court's conservative majority "was openly critical of the requirements" but the Court avoided the constitutional issue. "Whether conditions continue to justify such legislation is a difficult constitutional question we do not answer today," Chief Justice Roberts wrote for the Court.

In his dissent, Thomas went further and  "seemed to argue" the Voting Rights Act is no longer necessary "because the explicit racial segregation of the Jim Crow era is gone", notes The Daily Voice.

''The violence, intimidation and subterfuge that led Congress to pass Section 5 and this court to uphold it no longer remains,'' Thomas wrote. He admitted that in 1965, "Congress had every reason to conclude that States with a history of disenfranchising voters based on race would continue to do all they could to evade the constitutional ban on voting discrimination." But, Thomas added, "The extensive pattern of discrimination that led the Court to previously uphold Section 5 . . . no longer exists...And the days of 'grandfather clauses, property qualifications, 'good character' tests, and the requirement that registrants 'understand' or 'interpret' certain matter,' are gone."

What did Malcolm X say? There are house slaves and there are field slaves ...

Comments

[Ten in My Timbz]

Another fine decision by Clarence "Uncle" Thomas

[Grambling State]

That SOB is determined to turn back the clock on our progress. It must gall him that Obama is president!

[Ravenback]

Please stop using the Uncle Tom reference. It is a complete distortion of who Uncle Tom was. Uncle Tom was about using his acceptance by whites to free black slaves. He did not sell his people out.

[Kmark]

Everyone who thinks like that clarence isn't dead yet, so I disagree.

[RZM]

Poor Clarence...I guess the mirror he looks in is still showing the negative of his image

[FREELEO]

you are right ravenback. clarence thomas isn't an uncle tom. he's a coon.

[chris]

He is consistently and rabidly harsh in his interpretation of the law as it relates to minorities, the oppressed and others who are disenfranchised.

[Ravenback]

@ Freeleo

Thank you for getting my point. Coon is a much better description of what Clarence is.

[Luther]

The man is mentally ill, no if's, and's or but's about it. The anger and self hate that he has shows it.

[alicia banks]

leopards never change their spots

and self-loathing neocons in blackface never remove their toxic black masks

clarence betraying blacks is as solid a constant as death and taxes

shame!
ab
http://www.geocities.com/ambwww/CLARENCE-THOMAS.htm

[TheRevKev]

I knew this was coming!

When there was talk about conversation of the Voting Rights Act, I KNEW THAT CLARENCE "ALL WHITE FOLKS IS GOOD" THOMAS would somehow suggest that it was no longer necessary.

I dream of the world that Chief Justice Thomas lives in, where off-duty police officers don't get killed by their own co-worker; where black men aren't still thrown in from of the bus as the "HE DID IT" scapegoat for crazy white women (and men) who don't want to take responsibility for their actions and where there isn't actually a separate police task force for hip-hop artists, who, while they make some stupid choices, shouldn't be the specialized focus of any legal system.

Oh Clarence, poor Clarence, what must people say about you when you leave the room?

"THAT NIGGER REALLY DOES BELIEVE WHAT HE'S SAYING."

[kevjack]

There was a mentor of mine, and old stalwart of the Civil Rights Movement, who told me the following:

"Despite what consrvatives say, there has only been one unqualified black person hired for a position due to Affirmative Action-- his name is Clarence Thomas."

Truer words were never spoken. He is always nearly silent during arguments and when he does speak (or write) he shows himself to be a true fool.

[JG, III]

You see - folks just don’t understand the pervasiveness of internalized racism. It’s doesn’t matter what college you went to or one’s academic pedigree. Quite frankly, we won’t understand until we actually challenge our perception and conception of Christianity and thought. It’s just another version of internalized racism.

[soulbrotha]

Dear Michael Jackson,
would you PLEASE send Clarence Thomas to your dermatologist so he can bleach his ass out of our race once and for all? In return, we will promise to buy the zillionth repackaging of your greatest hits.

Sincerely, soulbrotha

[RC]

Sad. I would like to read his dissenting argument to understand his logic;this is truly unbelievable.

[Baja]

You know it funny, because now I know where Aaron McGruder's inspiration for "Uncle Ruckus" come from.