danah boydApr 8, 2023

Years ago, I attended a meeting about the future of democracy at Harlan Crow’s “house” (which was staged as a museum). I left deeply shaken by the Nazi memorabilia on display. Apparently I wasn’t alone. https://www.washingtonian.com/2023/04/07/clarence-thomass-billionaire-benefactor-collects-hitler-artifacts/

Indeed Crow’s house had statues of fallen dictators. I was told that these items were war trophies to commemorate how the “good guys” won. But no museum curator I know would glorify such artifacts that way. Hitler’s painting was signed, just hanging on the wall as art.

Clarence Thomas’s Billionaire Benefactor Collects Hitler Artifacts - Washingtonian

Harlan Crow also has a garden full of dictator statues.

Washingtonian - The website that Washington lives by.
Show threaddanah boydApr 8, 2023
The library space (where tables were set up for large gatherings like ours) in Crow’s house was also filled with awards and recognition for conservative leaders. I remember seeing Clarence Thomas’s name on a plaque near the front of that room along with Scalia and others.
Show threaddanah boyd
I didn’t know who Harlan Crow was at the time. I was told he was a major GOP fundraiser. I remember wondering if he was also collecting trophies out of conservative leaders. This week’s ProPublica reporting refreshes that memory. https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-scotus-undisclosed-luxury-travel-gifts-crow
Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire

Island-hopping on a superyacht. Private jet rides around the world. The undisclosed gifts to Thomas have no known precedent in the modern history of the Supreme Court. “It’s incomprehensible to me that someone would do this,” says one former judge.

ProPublica
Apr 8, 2023 at 2:54pmWeb
Show threaddanah boydApr 8, 2023
Years later, I still shudder thinking about the Nazi uniform decorations in Harlan Crow’s house. And the painting. And the book. And the statues. And the “antebellum” (pro slavery) artifacts. I’m glad others are questioning the acceptability of those materials.
Show threadJ. Nathan Matias 🦣Apr 8, 2023
@zephoria Yeah. Having encountered more than a few powerful leaders and institutions over the years who do and display outrageous things, I think one of their functions is to help those people quickly and efficiently filter who is the kind of person to go along with the outrageous, and who speaks up
Show threadShoq 🌿Apr 8, 2023
@zephoria https://mastodon.social/@shoq/110163430984359330
Show threadSeiðrApr 8, 2023
@zephoria Well, seems like Clarence Thomas is Peanut Butter Oreo: black outside, brownshirt inside.
Show threadrobert daniel pickardApr 8, 2023

@zephoria

"....they're all signed....AH..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZfsIzNkBZs

Think of the money - Absolute Power - BBC comedy

YouTube
Show threadNelson MinarApr 8, 2023
@zephoria thank you for sharing this story. You've gotten some criticism on it (much in bad faith) but I think I understand what you did at the time and why you'd speak out now.
Show threadGATEKEEPERApr 8, 2023
@zephoria
Billionaires only protect Billionaires Money...and screw every person that tries to stop them.