Clarence Thomas Pen Pal Saw a Different Man Than Everyone Else
Over two decades, an unlikely friendship with a Supreme Court justice inspires a young man.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 1: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas speaks at the memorial service for former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia at the Mayflower Hotel March 1, 2016 in Washington, DC.Justice Scalia died February 13 while on a hunting trip in Texas. (Photo by Susan Walsh-Pool/Getty Images)
Oct. 23 marks the 25th anniversary of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' arrival on the high court, making him the nation's longest serving African-American justice. Getty Images
Mark Davis was 11 years old when he opened a handwritten letter that changed his life. It was from a black Southern lawyer that he had not yet met.
"He encouraged me to study hard in school," said Davis, who is also African-American. "He was very inspiring for me."
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WASHINGTON - MARCH 13: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas testifies before the House Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee on Capitol Hill March 13, 2008 in Washington, DC. Thomas and Justice Anthony Kennedy spoke about concerns with the ongoing remodeling of the court building, the reduction of paperwork due to electronic media and the disparity of pay between federal judges and lawyers working in the private sector. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Why Clarence Thomas Rarely Speaks from the Supreme Court Bench
The lawyer who penned the inspirational letter was Clarence Thomas, a year before his historic 1991 nomination fight for the U.S. Supreme Court divided the country. Oct. 23 marks the 25th anniversary Justice Thomas' arrival on the high court and makes him the nation's longest serving African-American justice. Famously silent on the bench and rarely given to interviews, Thomas is perhaps the most private man in American public life. Alternatively hated and revered, he is known mainly to his family and a close circle of friends and former law clerks.
http://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2016-10-21/clarence-thomas-pen-pal-saw-a-different-man-than-everyone-else
