Clarence Thomas: Supreme Court Justice: Legacy Edition (Black Americans of Achievement)

The second black man to be appointed to the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas has achieved what few people no matter their race can aspire to. To get there, Thomas had to endure years of struggle, starting with his upbringing in rural Georgia. Though he faced racial discrimination and poverty, his demanding grandfather taught him that hard work, self-discipline, and self-reliance could help him survive. Indeed, Thomas went on to seminary school and then to Yale School of Law, where he was one of only a few black students. While working at the Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, his opinions about affirmative action programs enraged some civil rights leaders. When he was nominated to the Supreme Court, his reputation was attacked. Despite all of this, today Thomas sits on the highest court in the nation. In Clarence Supreme Court Justice , read about the ascent of a man driven to achieve success. As the second black man to be appointed to the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas has achieved something that few people-no matter what their race-have achieved in America. Before reaching the Supreme Court, however, Thomas had to endure years of struggle. He faced racial discrimination and poverty as a boy, but his demanding grandfather taught him that hard work, self-discipline, and self-reliance would help him survive. Thomas went on to a seminary, to college, and then to the Yale School of Law, where he was one of only a few black students. While working at the Department of Education and on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, his opinions about affirmative action programs enraged some civil rights leaders. When he was nominated to the Supreme Court, his reputation was attacked. Despite all of this, Thomas prevailed. Today, he sits on the highest court in the nation. Contents ......Page 6 Ch. 1: Confirmation Hearings......Page 8 Ch. 2: Pin Point......Page 17 Ch. 3: Tough Love......Page 26 Ch. 4: Seminary Life......Page 36 Ch. 5: Wearing Combat Boots......Page 47 Ch. 6: Skin Deep......Page 58 Ch. 7: Piranhas Feeding......Page 69 Ch. 8: The Scandal......Page 78 Ch. 9: Riding the Magic Carpet......Page 89 Ch. 10: The Last Laugh......Page 100 Chronology......Page 110 Further Reading......Page 112 Picture Credits......Page 113 Index......Page 114 About the Author......Page 119 Presents a biography of Judge Thomas with a focus on his controversial confirmation as a replacement for Thurgood Marshall on the Supreme Court Examines the life and career of Clarence Thomas, the second black man to be appointed to the United States' Supreme Court