document: Her critics see her as more than the supportive spouse who 'll accompany her husband , Clarence , through his Senate confirmation hearings , which began Tuesday and are likely to run through next week . They see a woman with strong opinions on issues that are bound to come before the court. ; Some women 's - rights activists are upset by her lobbying against such issues as comparable-worth legislation . Some religious rights groups are troubled by her anti-cult activities in light of her former involvement with Lifespring , a motivational group. ; Skin color an issue ; Even the color of her skin is being used to determine the content of Clarence Thomas 's character . The fact that she is white has drawn criticism from some blacks who see the marriage as evidence that Clarence Thomas has rejected his roots. ; In their respective careers , the Thomases have embraced the view that women and minorities are hindered , rather than helped , by affirmative action and government programs . True equality is achieved by holding everyone to the same standard , they believe. ; `` I do n't think it 's fair to say she 's anti-women 's rights , '' said Ricky Silberman , vice chairwoman of the EEOC and a friend of the Thomases . She said Virginia Thomas opposed legislation on comparable worth because it would have involved the government in determining wages , which is `` not good for the economy , not good for workers , not good for women . '' ; Conservative viewpoint ; Virginia Thomas has represented the conservative viewpoint in her jobs as a staffer for a Republican congressman , spokeswoman at the U.S. Chamber of Congress and deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Labor. ; Clarence Thomas advocates a colorblind society , and his marriage may be an example of that philosophy . But others see a different symbolism. ; `` His marrying a white woman is a sign of his rejection of the black community , '' said Russell Adams , chairman of Howard University 's department of Afro-American studies . `` Great justices have had community roots that served as a basis for understanding the Constitution . Clarence 's lack of a sense of community makes his nomination troubling . '' ; Religious leaders wonder ; Some religious leaders are troubled as well . Dean Kelley , the National Council of Churches ' counselor on religious liberty , wrote a critique of Clarence Thomas that was used as grounds for his organization 's opposition to the Supreme Court nominee . The author did not mention Virginia Thomas in his text , but has said he was concerned about her involvement in the Cult Awareness Network -LRB- CAN -RRB- , a Chicago-based organization that says it educates the public about `` destructive '' cults . That involvement , he said , might affect her husband 's handling of religious-liberty cases if he shares her views on the subject. ; During the early '80s , Virginia Thomas enrolled in Lifespring , a self-help course that challenges students to take responsibility for their lives . A small percentage of the program 's 300,000 graduates have been deeply disturbed by Lifespring 's methods , which involve intense emotional self-examination. ; A clean break ; Virginia Thomas was troubled by some of Lifespring 's activities and eventually broke with the organization . Since 1985 , she has been a public advocate against cult activities. ; When she served as a labor-relations attorney at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce from 1985 to 1989 , she represented the interests of the business community at congressional hearings on such issues as comparable worth , affirmative action and federal child-care legislation .
extractive_keyphrases: clarence thomas virginia thomas supportive spouse supreme court affirmative action conservative viewpoint nomination senate confirmation hearings criticism