Clarence Thomas: An Influential Role Model

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Clarence Thomas was born in a small town called Pin Point, just outside of Savannah, Georgia. When Thomas was three years old, his father left him and his family. Thomas’ mother, Leola, struggled to put food on the table as a single, working mom. Sometimes making only pennies in a single day, Leola often depended heavily on charity to support her family. The house they lived in was a one-room shack with dirt floors and no plumbing. When Clarence was seven years old, a tragic house fire left the Thomas family homeless, forcing him and his younger brother to go live with their grandparents, Myers and Christine Anderson, in Savannah. Thomas’ grandfather was his most influential role model. He owned a very successful fuel oil business, that also sold ice, and several other small, self-run businesses as well. This allowed Thomas to enjoy household comforts such as regularly cooked meals and indoor plumbing. While raising Thomas, his grandfather instilled in him many valuable life lessons and characteristics such as a sense of strength and discipline. His grandfather found pride in self-reliance and hard work, and once Thomas was ten years old, he would take the whole family down to the farm to work from sunrise to sunset. “Never let the sun catch you in bed” was a motto his grandfather loved to say. He also stressed to Thomas the importance and value of a good education.

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