Clarence Thomas to teach civil rights at UT
The gist
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will teach a one-credit seminar to 17 UT undergraduates for one week in February 2027.
The course sits at a school critics call a conservative project, so his record on civil rights is the flashpoint.
How it unfolded
- 1991Thomas replaced the late Justice Thurgood Marshall, who had led the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in the Brown v. Board of Education case that ended legal segregation in public schools.
- 2023UT Austin launched its School of Civic Leadership, drawing support from Republican lawmakers while some Democrats raised concerns.
- Apr 15, 2026Thomas delivered an invite-only guest lecture at Hogg Memorial Auditorium marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence; UT President Jim Davis gave him a jersey.
Key terms
- originalist
- A supporter of a legal theory that interprets a constitution's text according to its original understanding at the time of adoption.
- NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
- An American civil rights organization and law firm based in New York City.
- Brown v. Board of Education
- A landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.
Source: Wikipedia