Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was welcomed with a mostly standing ovation when he took the podium Wednesday to dedicate Augusta’s sparkling new courthouse, but not everyone stood. Some in the crowd remained conspicuously seated, greeting the Georgia native with a studied silence.
The mixed reception underscored the strained relations between Thomas and some black residents in his home state. Many remain upset he was tapped to speak at the opening of a court building dedicated to pioneering civil rights lawyer John “Jack” Ruffin Jr., who later became the first black chief judge of the state Court of Appeals.
“The folks that had a vested interest weren’t really consulted,” said Richmond County State Court Judge David Watkins. “Look, imagine you invite someone to your house to spend the night and you don’t ask your wife, and it may be someone she didn’t agree with. Would that go well?”
Many critics said selecting the 62-year-old Thomas to speak was a divisive and disrespectful move, considering the justice’s conservative record and stance against affirmative action programs.
“He has a tough relationship with his native state,” said James L. Kendrick, a businessman who is a longtime leader in Augusta’s black community. “In most cases and by the standard of a lot of black people, Justice Thomas voted to the opposite of what they felt was good. People feel betrayed by him.”
