Clarence Thomas Recalls 1983 Promise to Honor Grandparents, Choking Up at Hoover Talk
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 19
Clarence Thomas Recalls 1983 Promise to Honor Grandparents, Choking Up at Hoover Talk
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 19
Summary
Clarence Thomas said he decided after his grandparents died suddenly in 1983 to live "the rest of my life as a memorial to theirs," pausing to regain composure during an on-stage Hoover Institution conversation.
Thomas tied that promise to economist Thomas Sowell's influence, saying Sowell's emphasis on self-reliance and discipline echoed lessons he first learned from his grandparents and Catholic nuns.
Savannah, Georgia, shaped those views: Thomas said he was raised by grandparents with little formal schooling—his grandfather had nine months of education and his grandmother reached sixth grade—yet treated education as the "crown jewel."
The discussion cast those family lessons as the foundation of Thomas's broader views on Black Americans, work and achievement, with Thomas saying Sowell gave him permission to think differently from many Black leaders.