Drawing on his extensive tenure as a jurist, Justice Clarence Thomas delivered a moving address at The University of Texas at Austin on the continued relevance of the Declaration of Independence. Describing the Declaration as the foundation of American government, Justice Thomas emphasized the need to valiantly safeguard its principles. Doing so, he detailed the threats to the Declaration’s principles, arguing that progressivist philosophies from the early 20th century to today seek to disregard the principles espoused there and eliminate natural rights in the process. Justice Thomas also shared the ways in which pivotal seasons in his own life—from his Georgia upbringing to his Catholic high school education—shaped him both as a jurist and as a citizen.

Appointed by President George H. W. Bush in 1991, Justice Clarence Thomas is the longest-serving current justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. He holds an A.B. from College of the Holy Cross and a J.D. from Yale Law School. He previously acted as Assistant Attorney General of Missouri, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights within the U.S. Department of Education, and Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

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