By H. Zeiler

A sometimes controversial but undeniably important voice in the Supreme Court is Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. Known as a conservative voice and a staunch originalist, he strives to interpret the Constitution in the way that the founding fathers had intended. While this is sometimes controversial Thomas’s arguments are always brilliantly written. However, the story of this famous Supreme Court justice is an inspiring rags to riches story that could only happen in America.

Born in a small town in Georgia in 1948, he was forced to survive in a one parent household with his mother, his older sister and his younger brother. Times were tough especially after a fire left them homeless. This sad event was turned into a great opportunity for Clarence because he was sent to live with his grandfather who became his role model.

A hard worker, Clarence Thomas earned admittance as the first black student to St. John Vianney, where he hoped to study and become a Catholic Priest. However, after persevering through racial bullying and earning excellent grades, Thomas changed his mind about becoming a priest, because he believed that the Catholic Church did not take an active enough role with regard to civil rights.

After Martin Luther King’s assassination in 1968, he went to Holy Cross and graduated in 1971 with a degree in English Literature. He then went on to Yale Law School to affirm his passion for the Civil Rights movement.

After graduation Thomas was admitted to the Missouri bar in 1974, and got to work in the office of the Missouri Attorney General. He also worked for Senator John C. Danforth, where President Reagan took notice and appointed him to the U.S. Department of Education as Secretary for Civil Rights, then as Chairman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Thomas is a pronounced opponent of affirmative action, believing that due to this work the achievements of minorities would be questioned. He believes that due to affirmative action people question whether minorities actually made achievements on their own or with the help of affirmative action. He believes that achievement should be made on the basis of merit.

In 1991, George H. W. Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, where he was subjected to a vigorous round of Senate hearings. If fellolw Yale graduate Brett Kavanaugh was fractious, so too was Thomas’s Senate hearing. Both were confirmed to the Supreme Court.

Clarence Thomas is known today as an intellectual leader of originalist conservative thought. His contributions to opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller, known as the Heller gun control decision, as well as Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which is a major campaign finance law case.

Whether people agree or disagree with his decisions, what cannot be denied is that Justice Thomas is an original thinker, who is suspicious of the overreach of the federal government into the rights of states, localities and individuals.