Thomas Opposed for Supreme Court

BLACK BUZZ NEWS SERVICE
The National Black Political
Caucus, Archives
Pittsburgh PA.


The following article appeared in The Pittsburgh Press on August 20, 1991 titled Thomas opposed for Supreme Court

Thomas opposed for Supreme Court

The National Black Political Caucus, a Pittsburgh based group has announced it will oppose the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the U. S. Supreme Court.
The Caucus has criticized Thomas' opposition to Affirmative Action and said his tenure as chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission "was a total disaster."
It is our considered belief that when Judge Thomas was director of the EEOC he seriously undermined and severely weakened on the highest law enforcement agencies in the Country by repeatedly using voluntary compliance rather than enforcement," the Caucus, said in a statement.
Ronald B. Saunders is Chairman and Reginald D. Plato is President of the Caucus.

Officers of the National Black Political Caucus along with U. S. Senator Howard Metzenbaum, ( D ) of Ohio met with Clarence Thomas, Chair of the EEOC and EEOC staff Attorney's on June 26, 1986 at the EEOC office in Washington D.C.

Senator Metzenbaum began the meeting by informing Mr. Thomas that he had received complaints from various members of the National Black Political Caucus in Steubenville Ohio and Warren Ohio. Senator Mezenbaum further stated that he had also received complaints from Pittsburgh PA, and throughout the U.S. for the lack of in-depth investigations of complaints filed with the EEOC. Metzenbaum said he was sick and tired, of the EEOC treating Charging Party's as though they were aliens in there own country with such legal jargon that the average Joe can't understand.
Mr. Edward Mixon, the first African American elected to public office ( Councilman ) in the City of Steubenville Ohio, and an officer of the National Black Political Caucus, said the EEOC Office had his case for well over three years and had failed to contact him on the progress of the case. William Snyder, another officer of the National Black Political Caucus, from Wheeling West Virginia said over 21 people had come to him about the lack of progress on there cases, and when the EEOC did contact his constituents it was to tell them they found no cause to credit the allegations of their charges. Tim Holt, another officer of the Caucus in Detroit Michigan, said he had received many complaints from his people on the number of times that the EEOC found no cause for their charges.. Reginald D. Plato, President of the NBPC said that the Pittsburgh office was not living up to its statutory mandates by dismissing so many charges do to a lack of Jurisdiction.
Janis W. Henfield, Secretary of the National Black Political Caucus in Arlington Virginia, said the she knew that the EECO had a very high rate of no cause findings in race discrimination complaints, and she requested that Senator Mezenbaum and his colleagues on the Senate Labor & Government Committee begin to conduct hearings on lack of accountability in handling race discrimination charges in all the EEOC District Offices throughout the USA.
Ronald B. Saunders, Chairman of the National Black Political Caucus, said in case after case throughout the U.S. that the EEOC had substituted good law enforcement of its statue's with voluntary compliance which is basically a sham. Saunders said voluntary compliance does not get to root cause of the discrimination and that most individual charges have pattern implications which the EEOC avoids like the plague.
Alton Jones, of the National Black Political Caucus D. C. Office, said most charges at EEOC are dismissed for a lack of Jurisdiction, and he considered many of the charges to be valid, but people who file charges can't get anyone at EEOC to explain what is going on with their charges.
The EEOC staff attorney's listen very attentively and they requested information on specific cases and they informed all parties present that they would look into all of our concerns in an expeditious fashion.
Senator Metzenbaum informed Clarence Thomas, that the public perception of EEOC was very negative. Senator Metzenbaum said "Mr. Thomas you people at EEOC know you are not doing your jobs, and the little man and women in the street can't get any relief when they file charges because you talk to them in a language that is over there head."
Senator Metzenbaum further stated that either this agency is going to shape up and enforce the law or there will be changes made at this agency. The only thing that Clarence Thomas said was I thank everyone for their attendance, and that he would review all of our concerns with all his attorney's, and Regional Directors and report back to Senator Metzenbaum, and members of the National Black Political Caucus.

* The National Black Political Caucus did testify against Clarence Thomas at his Confirmation Hearing for the position of Justice on said U.S. Supreme Court.