Clarence Thomas, black nominee to the Supreme Court, comes from a childhood in segregated Georgia where he was taught the ethic of hard work, self discipline, and independence. He went north to college at Holy Cross. By the time he entered Yale Law School he was described as a freewheeling liberal. Brilliant conservative law professors and the writings of a conservative black economist had a profound influence on Thomas. ; Instead, Thomas, now 43, became something else -- a hybrid product of harsh Southern history and baby-boom ambition, a proponent of personal strength over dependence, of individualism over government activism. Thomas is now one of America’s most respected jurists.
Clarence Thomas, black nominee to the Supreme Court, comes from a childhood in segregated Georgia where he was taught the ethic of hard work, self discipline, and independence. He went north to college at Holy Cross. By the time he entered Yale Law School he was described as a freewheeling liberal. Brilliant conservative law professors and the writings of a conservative black economist had a profound influence on Thomas. Thomas is now one of America’s most respected jurists.