INTERVIEW | How Clarence Thomas Went From Childhood Sleeping on Dirt Floor to Becoming ‘The People's Justice’

The Daily Signal

Government, News, Daily News, Politics

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🗓️ 6 July 2023

⏱️ 29 minutes

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Summary

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas grew up with little. He and his younger brother slept on a dirt floor, and their mother struggled to make enough money to feed them. When he was a boy, Thomas’ mother sent him and his brother to live with his grandparents in hopes of a better life. Thomas’ “grandfather raised them with an iron fist,” federal appeals court Judge Amul Thapar says, “and this becomes important as you go through his jurisprudence, because there were a couple of things his grandfather did that impacted a young Clarence Thomas.” Thomas’ grandfather taught him that complaining accomplished nothing, that education was invaluable, and to think for himself, Thapar says. Those principles, he says, have influenced Thomas, now 75, as a Supreme Court justice. But despite Thomas’ commitment to the Constitution, he has faced criticism from the Left over the years, something Thapar contends is a result of the justice’s loyalty to judicial originalism. “Critics need a caricature because they don't like originalism,” Thapar says. “Why? What is originalism at its heart? It returns the power to the American people.” In his new book “The People's Justice: Clarence Thomas and the Constitutional Stories that Define Him,” Thapar details how Thomas has sought through his time on the bench since 1991 to return power to the American people. Thapar, elevated to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals by then-President Donald Trump in 2017, joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to share stories of Thomas’ life and his legacy as a Supreme Court justice. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Since he's gotten on the court, I think there's been this misperception. The critics have always been looking for who could be controlling Clarence Thomas.
0:09.0	I've got the answer for Clarence Thomas is controlling Clarence Thomas.
0:19.0	This is the Daily Civil Podcast for Thursday, July 6th. I'm Virginia Allen. And that was Judge Amal Thapar.
0:26.0	The story of Justice Clarence Thomas will likely surprise many Americans.
0:32.0	And in his brand new book, The People's Justice, Clarence Thomas and the constitutional stories that define him judge the par takes the time to detail.
0:43.0	The effect Thomas had not only on the Supreme Court, but on those who have the opportunity to know him personally.
0:51.0	So today, I am so pleased that we are joined by Judge Thapar of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
0:58.0	Judge, thank you so much for being here today. And congratulations on your brand new book, The People's Justice, Clarence Thomas and the constitutional stories that define him.
1:09.0	Judge, thank you so much for being with us today.
1:11.0	Thank you very much for having me.
1:13.0	Well, in writing this new book, The People's Justice, Clarence Thomas and the constitutional stories that define him,
1:20.0	you have really delved deep into the life and the cases of Justice Clarence Thomas in all that you have learned about him.
1:28.0	What do you think is the best way to describe Justice Clarence Thomas? If you had described him in just a few words, how would you do that?
1:37.0	I would say he's passionate, caring, and a person of the people.
1:43.0	I love that. Well, and I think that that element, you do such a good job of detailing as you talk about his early years and his life.
1:53.0	Share if you would just a little bit about Justice Clarence Thomas's early life and who raised him.
2:00.0	Yeah, I mean, I think the early life for Justice Thomas is such an important factor that has often left out.
2:06.0	And you can see it interestingly traced through his jurisprudence. So he was born in the tidelines of Georgia.
2:13.0	And he was born during segregation, and his mom was raising him and his younger brother.
2:19.0	But she was so poor that they literally slept on a dirt floor.
2:24.0	So when you say dirt poor, I think Clarence Thomas as a child was the epitome of dirt poor.
2:30.0	So much so that his mom was making $10 a week and could not afford to feed a young Clarence Thomas and his brother.
	...

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