Jews, Irish and Japanese-Americans have no problem claiming prominent thinkers and Nobel Laureates as compatriots. The black community has a problem in this regard.
I was the business manager of a black church for more than a decade and have had many close friends who are black including the black minister of the church. A few of my black friends had advanced academic degrees. No one I can remember celebrated the intellectual genius of other blacks.
I think this is a problem that is apparent with poor black accomplishment in academia. A very high dropout rate in high school. Especially as compared to the over-accomplishment of Jews and Asian-Americans in academia and intellectual matters.
The black community doesn’t seem to identify with or celebrate two of the greatest American intellectuals who are black, were born into poverty and worked hard to achieve greatness.
Thomas Sowell is one of the finest minds writing and speaking in the English world. One of the greatest intellectuals, in my opinion. I have read many of his books on economics, sociology and general thought. He is black, was born in poverty in the South and had a very difficult life.
Clarence Thomas, a longtime member of The U.S. Supreme Court, is another man of immense intellectual accomplishment. He was influenced by Sowell’s writings.
Justice Thomas is very important in having been selected to write the majority court opinions in over 210 cases. His greatest influence has been in his usually brilliant and concise dissents in over 200 cases, many of which are the scholarly material used in most important law schools and law journals.
I’ve read many of Thomas’s opinions. They are consistently clear, brilliant and historically important.
The absence of appreciation of these two brilliant men in the broader American black community is sad. Some day, when the black community respects the intellectual accomplishments of American blacks, young blacks growing up will have great men to follow and imitate.