Clarence Thomas is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President George H.W. Bush and has been serving on the court since 1991. Thomas is known for being a conservative judge and is one of the most influential members of the court.
Early Life and Education
Clarence Thomas was born on June 23, 1948, in Pin Point, Georgia. He was one of seven children born to M.C. Thomas and Leola Williams. His family was poor, and they lived in a small house without running water or electricity. Thomas attended the local segregated school and then went on to attend a Catholic high school in Savannah.
After high school, Thomas attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. He graduated in 1971 with a degree in English literature. He then went on to Yale Law School, where he earned his law degree in 1974.
Early Career
After law school, Thomas worked in the Missouri Attorney General’s office and then went on to work for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. In 1979, he was appointed Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education under President Jimmy Carter.
In 1981, Thomas was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to head the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). He served in this role until 1985 when he left to become a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Supreme Court Nomination
In 1991, President George H.W. Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice Thurgood Marshall. Thomas was confirmed by the Senate after a contentious confirmation hearing.
During the confirmation hearing, Thomas was accused of sexual harassment by Anita Hill, a former colleague from the Department of Education and the EEOC. Thomas denied the allegations and called the hearing a “high-tech lynching.”
Judicial Philosophy
Clarence Thomas is known for his conservative judicial philosophy. He believes in interpreting the Constitution as it was originally written and is a proponent of originalism. Thomas is also known for his strong defense of individual rights and his opposition to affirmative action.
Thomas has written some of the court’s most significant opinions, including the majority opinion in McDonald v. Chicago, which held that the Second Amendment applies to state and local governments.
Legacy
Clarence Thomas is one of the longest-serving members of the Supreme Court and has had a significant impact on American jurisprudence. He has been a staunch defender of individual rights and has been a consistent voice for conservative values on the court.
Despite his controversial confirmation hearing, Thomas has become one of the most respected members of the court and is considered to be one of the most influential conservative justices of the modern era.
