How Clarence Thomas Came to Reject Affirmative Action

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the second Black justice to sit on the court after Thurgood Marshall, has spent years opposing affirmative action. When the high court struck down the policy last month, Justice Thomas was one of the most influential figures behind the ruling.
Abbie VanSickle, who covers the Supreme Court for The Times, explains the impact affirmative action has had on Justice Thomas’s life and how he helped to bring about its demise.
Guest: Abbie VanSickle (www.nytimes.com/by/abbie-vans...) , a Supreme Court correspondent for The New York Times.
Background reading:
• A look at Justice Thomas’s path to the Supreme Court. (www.nytimes.com/2023/07/09/us...)
• Here’s what the justices have said in the past about affirmative action. (www.nytimes.com/live/2023/06/...)
For more information on today’s episode, visit
nytimes.com/thedaily (nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-t...)
. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

[@Kiss_lynda]

I ❤ Justice Clarence Thomas

[@jannichi6431]

The best and brightest dont seem to rise into the most important jobs in USA, I agree...weird and unjust.😥

[@hello_817]

it weird for you guys; lol 😂

[@timothytendick1550]

Prior to the ruling a white male, US born citizen, had almost no chance of being admitted to Sanford according to Victor Davis Hanson. Whether he was referring only to a particular subset and not to the whole institution, I don't recall.