Clarence Thomas was born June 23, 1948 in Pin Point, Georgia. He was the second child and first son of M.C. Thomas and Leola Williams' three children. Thomas's father abandoned the family when he was very young. His mother worked hard at supporting her three children. The Pin Point community was very poor, the people all worked at some kind of manual labor. There was no sewage system not paved roads.

When Thomas was seven years old he went to live with his grandfather, Myers Anderson in Savannah, Georgia. Living with his grandfather was a step up. He and his brother had regular meals and very much appreciated the indoor plumbing. Education was instilled in him, and early on he decided to become a priest. St. John Vianney Minor Seminary was an all white boarding school dedicated to training young priest. Thomas suffered racism at his school, he persevered and graduated with a good academic record.

Thomas continued his education, ending up at Yale Law School through it's affirmative action program. After graduation Thomas went to work in then State Attorney General John Danforth. This situation helped set the stage for Thomas' assent to the Federal Courts.

Nominated for the Supreme Court in 1991 to replace retiring Justice Thurgood Marshall, Thomas became the second Black to serve on the Supreme Court. Although a sexual harassment allegation during his nomination proceedings cast some doubt on his character. Thomas called the allegations "a high tech lynching", however, he was sworn in by a 52-48 vote.

Considered by some to be the most politically powerful Black man in America, he has not garnered the respect or prominence among blacks that his position would seem to engender. Many Blacks feel that his conservative views are not in synch with the majority of Black America, especially his views on Affirmative Action.

Thomas, who vehemently opposes Affirmative Action, is sometimes embarrassed to concede that his own admission to Yale Law School came as a result of Affirmative Action programs.

Thomas' views on "natural law", or a strict interpretation of the Constitution, has kept him in the Supreme Court's conservative majority.