Table of Contents
Introduction xv
Why This Book Was Written xv
The Authors and Justice Thomas xvi
How to Use This Book xx
Timeline: Key Events in Clarence Thomas's Life xxiii
Chapter 1 Childhood Years 1
Pin Point 3
Moving to Savannah 7
Walking to His Grandparents' Home 8
Grandfather Myers Anderson 10
His Grandfather's Wisdom 15
The Nuns 18
Carnegie Library 22
Lessons from Working on the Farm 24
A Metaphor for Life 26
Growing Up in the Segregated South 29
Colorism-A Different Kind of Discrimination 33
Movies to Remember 34
Chapter 2 In the Seminary 37
Racial Difficulties in the Seminary 41
Finding Common Ground 44
Leaving the Seminary 48
Chapter 3 Radical Years 51
The Holy Cross Years 55
The Black Student Union 57
Books with an Impact-Invisible Man, Native Son, The Fountainhead 62
Holy Cross and the Jesuits-Honest Liberals 67
Attending an Anti-War Riot in Boston 70
Chapter 4 Lessons from Yale law school 75
The Birth of His Son 81
Yale Law Graduate Who Can't Get a Job 84
Going to Work for Missouri Attorney General Jack Danforth 87
The Impact of Thomas Sowell 91
A New Side to His Grandfather 93
Working for Monsanto 94
Attacks on Booker T. Washington 99
Chapter 5 Entering the Arena 103
Joining the Reagan Administration 110
Hiring Anita Hill at the Department of Education 113
EEOC-Fixing a Broken Agency 115
Clashing with Civil Rights Leaders 118
Conflicts within the Reagan Administration 120
Anita Hill at the EEOC 122
Losing His Grandparents 125
Chapter 6 Birth of an Originalist 131
Founding Principles and Natural Law 132
The Fountainhead and Libertarianism 136
Finding His Soulmate 138
D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals 140
Chapter 7 Supreme Court Nomination 145
Getting Ready for the Hearings 148
Coordinated Attacks 151
Prep Work 155
The Hearings Begin 156
Senator Biden 159
Abortion 164
Chapter 8 Anita Hill 169
The Democrats and the Media Run with It 172
Another Round 174
Guns Blazing 180
The Public's Reaction 185
Confirmed 188
Chapter 9 On the Court 193
The Role of a Judge 196
Colleagues 198
Thoughts on the Declaration 202
Affirmative Action-Grutter v. Bollinger 204
Mismatch 209
What the Government Can't Do 211
Accusations That Thomas Benefitted from Racial Preferences 214
The Attacks Continue 215
On Stare Decisis 217
The Administrative State 218
The Supreme Court at Work 221
On Asking Questions during Oral Argument 225
Chapter 10 Legacy 229
The Allegation Is Everything 231
Unintended Consequences 232
Road Trips in the RV 237
Gettysburg 240
Grandfather's Legacy 242
Appendix A Excerpts from Interview with Ginni Thomas 245
Meeting Clarence Thomas 246
The EEOC Years 248
Nomination to the Supreme Court 251
Before the Senate 254
Anita Hill 256
The Second Round 260
A High-Tech Lynching 265
The Supreme Court 271
His Law Clerks 273
The Court Family 275
Travels in the RV 277
A Continued, Relentless Assault 282
Outreach and Legacy 283
Appendix B The Litany of Humility 287
Acknowledgements 289
Notes 291
Index 315
