Justice Thomas’ “Enduring Hope” in Equality

“How Justice Clarence Thomas led SCOTUS to kill DEI” is not rocket science but a powerfully logical belief the Founding Fathers wanted people judged on their merits “rather than as members of racial, gender or ethnic groups" ... and that American law should plainly say so ...

“Just like the Declaration of Independence does,” Justice Thomas never seemed to get tired of arguing in speech after speech, SCOTUS opinion after opinion. As the Fox News coverage concluded, “It seems that his peers on the high court have been listening.” Perhaps the best proof was in the Supreme Court’s recent unanimous 9-0 ruling in Ames v. Ohio Dept of Youth Services suggesting that proponents of diversity, equity and inclusion programs should stop pretending they are complying with the nation’s Title VII anti-discrimination laws and should take care not to actually be guilty of reverse discrimination. In part of his opinion, Justice Thomas pointedly argued, “American employers have long been ‘obsessed’ with ‘DEI’ initiatives and affirmative action plans ... initiatives of this kind have often led to overt

discrimination against those perceived to be in the majority.”

Not that Justice Thomas hasn’t made the argument many times before. As the Fox article says for instance, he wrote a landmark concurring opinion in the High Court’s 2023 decision holding colleges & universities cannot consider race in admissions decisions: “While I am painfully aware of the social & economic ravages which have befallen my race & all who suffer discrimination,” he urged, “I hold out enduring hope that this country will live up to its principles so clearly enunciated in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States: that all men are created equal, are equal citizens, and must be treated equally before the law.”

Davd Soul