Justice Clarence Thomas's First Year On the U.S. Supreme Court

Abstract

The nomination of Judge Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court produced mixed reaction in the African American community. On one hand, many were pleased that President Bush had appointed a conservative African American to replace a retiring liberal African American (Editor's Comment, 1992; Puddington, 1992; Saunders, 199 la). These supporters contended that Thomas believes in self-help and individuals pulling themselves up by their bootstraps without any assistance from the government. On the other hand, many, knowing Thomas's tenure at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and his speeches on civil rights, were extremely uneasy about the president's selection (Carelli, 1991; Carmody, 1991; Higginbotham, 1992; Ireland, 1991; Rubin, 1991). The senate confirmation battle, aggravated by Professor Anita Hill's allegation of sexual harassment against Thomas, was riveting and bitter. In response to one senator's question, Thomas stated that the confirmation experience had sensitized him to fairness and due process to those who have been accused of wrongdoing. Following his confirmation, many wondered how the confirmation experience would affect Thomas on the U.S. Supreme Court (Barrett & Abramson, 1991; Coyle & Strasser, 1991; Saunders, 1991b).