The Gray Area with Sean Illing

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What Clarence Thomas really thinks

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Aug 29, 2022

Guest

Corey Robin

Corey Robin, a political science professor and author of 'The Enigma of Clarence Thomas,' delves into the complexities of the Supreme Court Justice's life and ideology. He discusses Thomas's shift from black nationalism to conservatism, revealing how historical movements shaped his views on race and progress. The conversation uncovers Thomas's judicial philosophy, his role in pivotal decisions, and the intersections of his personal beliefs with contemporary Republican ideology, providing a nuanced portrait of a controversial figure.

01:02:49

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insights

INSIGHT

White Paternalism

Clarence Thomas views white paternalism as more harmful than overt racism.
He believes it robs Black people of agency and self-reliance.

insights

INSIGHT

View of Liberal Black Americans

Clarence Thomas sees liberal Black Americans as malicious actors.
He believes they enable white supremacy, viewing them with more hostility than white liberals.

insights

INSIGHT

Thomas's Pessimism

Clarence Thomas's pessimism stems from witnessing the civil rights movement's decline.
He prioritizes Black survival and endurance over progress or emancipation.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Clarence Thomas: From Black Nationalism to Conservatism

01:54 • 9min

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Interracial Relationships and Black Masculinity

10:33 • 19min

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The Enduring Influence of a Supreme Court Enigma

29:38 • 5min

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Clarence Thomas and the Evolving Republican Ideology

35:04 • 16min

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Collective Action for Global Ambitious Goals

50:38 • 2min

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The Ideological Journey of Conservatism

53:00 • 11min

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Sean Illing talks with Corey Robin, author of a recent article — as well as a 2019 book — about the life and thought of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Robin discusses how Thomas, whose concurring opinion in the case that overturned Roe v. Wade garnered recent attention, developed the ideological basis of his extremist judicial philosophy, how his views went from the hard-right fringe to more mainstream over the course of his thirty years on the Supreme Court, and how the failures of the 1960's movements shaped his fundamental pessimism about racial progress in America.

Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), Interviews Writer, Vox

Guest: Corey Robin (@CoreyRobin), author; professor of political science, Brooklyn College and CUNY Graduate Center

References:

The Enigma of Clarence Thomas by Corey Robin (Metropolitan; 2019)
"The Self-Fulfilling Prophecies of Clarence Thomas" by Corey Robin (New Yorker; July 9)
Clarence Thomas's opening statement, Anita Hill hearing (C-SPAN; Oct. 11, 1991)
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (1952)
Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022); Thomas's concurrence
American Negro Slave Revolts by Herbert Aptheker (1943)
Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution - 1863–1877 by Eric Foner (1988; updated 2014)
The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in An Age of Diminishing Expectations by Christopher Lasch (Norton; 1979)
The Rhetoric of Reaction by Albert O. Hirschman (Harvard; 1991)

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This episode was made by:

Producer: Erikk Geannikis
Editor: Amy Drozdowska
Engineer: Patrick Boyd
Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall

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