Clarence Thomas: podcast appearances and interviews

Clarence Thomas is an American lawyer and jurist who has served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 1991. He was nominated by President George H. W. Bush to succeed Thurgood Marshall and is the second African American to serve on the Court. Thomas is also the second longest-serving justice in U.S. history. Born in Pin Point, Georgia, he was raised by his grandfather in a Gullah community near Savannah after his father abandoned the family. Initially aspiring to become a Catholic priest, he changed his career goals due to dissatisfaction with the church's efforts to address racism. Thomas graduated with honors from the College of the Holy Cross in 1971 and earned his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1974. Following graduation, he held positions including assistant attorney general in Missouri, private practice, legislative assistant to Senator John Danforth, and Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education. President Ronald Reagan appointed him as Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1982. In 1990, President George H. W. Bush nominated him to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where he served for 19 months before his appointment to the Supreme Court. His confirmation was highly contentious, driven by allegations of sexual harassment made by Anita Hill. As a justice, Thomas is known for his originalist interpretation of the Constitution, emphasizing the original meaning behind it. He is recognized for his majority opinions and his conservative stance on legal issues.