Clarence Thomas Benefactor’s Nazi Artifacts Collection Sparks Debate: ‘Memorialize the Victims, Not the Aggressors’
thewrap.comProPublica to have gifted Thomas undisclosed luxury vacations with rides on his private yacht and plane, was profiled in a 2014 Dallas Morning News article that resurfaced this weekend.
It highlighted his immense assembly of items from the Third Reich, including two of Adolf Hitler’s paintings, a copy of “Mein Kampf” signed by the dictator himself and dozens of Nazi medallions, swastika-embossed linens and other objects.
New reports of the collection and Crow’s relationship with Thomas have quoted former guests who took issue with his Nazi memorabilia and further sparked debate online over whether or not it’s appropriate for the real estate mogul to maintain them. “I still can’t get over the collection of Nazi memorabilia,” one person who has been to Crow’s home told The Washingtonian in a story published Friday. “It would have been helpful to have someone explain the significance of all the items.
Without that context, you sort of just gasp when you walk into the room.” Many on social media called it tasteless and inappropriate at best to keep a private Nazi collection — and potentially dangerous at worst. “Most folks exposed to Harlan Crow’s ‘collection’ of Nazi shit will be repulsed,” wrote writer-producer David Dault. “But a few will be curious. ‘Well, what do you think about it?’ Harlan will ask.
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