Watch Created Equal: Clarence Thomas In His Own Words

In 1991, Clarence Thomas was nominated by President George H.W. Bush to be a Supreme Court justice. The subsequent confirmation hearings for the African American lawyer, who was poised to be only the second black justice in history, rocked the nation. The movie Created Equal: Clarence Thomas In His Own Words from 2020 offers a unique perspective on the Clarence Thomas's journey to the Supreme Court, including his life growing up in rural Georgia and his turbulent confirmation hearings that included allegations of sexual harassment from Anita Hill, his former colleague who worked with him at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Featuring interviews with Thomas himself, as well as his friends, family, and colleagues, the film delves into the personal and political events that shaped the man who would become one of the most conservative justices in the Supreme Court's history.

The movie opens with a glimpse into Thomas's early life, including his poverty-stricken upbringing in Pin Point, Georgia. Thomas's grandfather was a sharecropper on a farm where his father worked, and he grew up in a segregated community where he attended a school for black children.

Thomas's love for reading, which was instilled in him by his mother, helped him achieve a scholarship to attend a Catholic boarding school in Savannah. He later went on to study at Holy Cross and Yale Law School, where he became a conservative and an advocate for free market principles.

The film then takes us through Thomas's career, including his work as a lawyer in Missouri and Washington, D.C., where he developed a reputation as a tough-on-crime prosecutor. Thomas went on to become the assistant secretary of education for civil rights under President Ronald Reagan, where he was criticized for his efforts to weaken affirmative action policies.

In 1991, Thomas was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Bush. But his confirmation hearings were fraught with controversy, as Anita Hill came forward with allegations of sexual harassment against Thomas. The film explores the events leading up to and during the hearings, including Hill's testimony and the subsequent backlash against her.

The movie also includes interviews with Joe Biden, who was the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time of the hearings. He discusses the committee's handling of Hill's allegations and his role in the process.

Throughout the film, Thomas discusses his conservative views on the Constitution, including his originalist and textualist perspectives on interpreting the document. He also addresses the criticism he has received for his views, including accusations of being an Uncle Tom and not caring about issues affecting the black community.

The movie is not just about Thomas's political views, however, as it also delves into his personal life, including his marriage to Virginia Lamp, who is interviewed for the film. Thomas describes how she has supported him throughout their marriage, including during the confirmation hearings.

Overall, Created Equal: Clarence Thomas In His Own Words from 2020 offers a comprehensive look at one of the most controversial and influential justices in the Supreme Court's history. The film explores Thomas's personal and political journey, including the events that led to his confirmation as a Supreme Court justice and the criticism and controversy that have followed him throughout his career.

Created Equal: Clarence Thomas In His Own Words is a 2020 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 56 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.9 and a MetaScore of 41.