It’s a lingering stain on this country that one name is consistently absent from Black History Month celebrations each February: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Based solely on our skin color, many prefer African Americans adopt certain ideological positions. When we don’t, the attacks can be relentless.

Because of his originalist jurisprudence, Justice Thomas has long been the target of unfair denigration by the political Left, dating back to his nomination as the second black Justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court in 1991. Through it all, he has confronted these attacks with grace, dignity, and determination.

READ MORE: Justice Clarence Thomas Deserves Recognition as an Icon of Black History | Opinion