---
title: "3 Affirmative action Quotes By Clarence Thomas"
description: "3 Affirmative action quotes by Clarence Thomas. Plus more from Clarence Thomas and more Affirmative action sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bd/clarence-thomas-7661_america_i-don-t-believe-in-quotas-america-was-fo_1246975.jpg"
---

> [I don't believe in quotas. America was founded on a philosophy of individual rights, not group rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/i-don-t-believe-in-quotas-america-was-founded-on-a-philosophy-of/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bd/clarence-thomas-7661_america_i-don-t-believe-in-quotas-america-was-fo_1246975.jpg)

> [So many of our conversations (about affirmative action) have been dishonest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/so-many-of-our-conversations-about-affirmative-action-have-been/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/clarence-thomas-7661_action_so-many-of-our-conversations-about-affir_1816187.jpg)

> [ Government cannot make us equal; it can only recognize, respect, and protect us as equal before the law. That \[affirmative action\] programs… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/government-cannot-make-us-equal-it-can-only-recognize-respect-and-2/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f06/clarence-thomas-7661_action_government-cannot-make-us-equal-it-can-o_2098533.jpg)

## Other authors on Affirmative action

- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b022/author-sonia-sotomayor-86182.jpg) Sonia Sotomayor 10 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affirmative-action/sonia-sotomayor/)
- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b007/author-cornel-west-25169.jpg) Cornel West 8 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affirmative-action/cornel-west/)
- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b022/author-shelby-steele-84811.jpg) Shelby Steele 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affirmative-action/shelby-steele/)
- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b017/author-michelle-alexander-67636.jpg) Michelle Alexander 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affirmative-action/michelle-alexander/)

## More by Clarence Thomas

> [You have a number of choices. You could continue to always fight against people who are really distractions. They're people in the cheap seats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/you-have-a-number-of-choices-you-could-continue-to-always-fight/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

> [I disagree with the prevailing point of view of some black leaders that special treatment for blacks is acceptable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/i-disagree-with-the-prevailing-point-of-view-of-some-black-leaders/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

> [My grandfather was a man, when he talked about freedom, his attitude was really interesting. His view was that you had obligations or you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/my-grandfather-was-a-man-when-he-talked-about-freedom-his-attitude/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

> [Perhaps some are confused because they have stereotypes of how blacks should be and I respectfully decline, as I did in my youth, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/perhaps-some-are-confused-because-they-have-stereotypes-of-how-blacks/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

> [ The Constitution does not vest in Congress the authority to protect society from every bad act that might befall it…\[I\]f followed to its logical… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/the-constitution-does-not-vest-in-congress-the-authority-to-protect/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

> [The job of a judge is to figure out what the law says, not what he wants it to say. There is a difference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/the-job-of-a-judge-is-to-figure-out-what-the-law-says-not-what-he/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

> [Differences in race, differences in sex, somebody doesn’t look at you right, somebody says something. Everybody is sensitive. If I had been as sensitive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/differences-in-race-differences-in-sex-somebody-doesn-t-look-at-you/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

> [ A theory deeply etched in our law \[is that\] a free society prefers to punish the few who abuse the rights of free speech… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/a-theory-deeply-etched-in-our-law-is-that-a-free-society-prefers-to/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

> [I don't know one of my friends who is considered a conservative who has not had to go back and thoroughly think through everything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/i-don-t-know-one-of-my-friends-who-is-considered-a-conservative-who/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

> [I' been very partial to Malcolm X, particularly his self-help teachings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/i-been-very-partial-to-malcolm-x-particularly-his-self-help-teachings/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

> [When you look at where the real problems are among minorities in our society, particularly blacks, it's at the bottom. It's the people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/when-you-look-at-where-the-real-problems-are-among-minorities-in-our/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

> [The only people who have quick answers don't have the responsibility of making the decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/the-only-people-who-have-quick-answers-don-t-have-the-responsibility/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

> [Today, now, it is time to move forward, a time to look for what is good in others, what is good in our country.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/today-now-it-is-time-to-move-forward-a-time-to-look-for-what-is-good/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

> [The Constitution contains no 'dignity' Clause, and even if it did, the government would be incapable of bestowing dignity. ... Slaves did not lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/the-constitution-contains-no-dignity-clause-and-even-if-it-did-the/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

> [There's a difference between someone who's 'harsh' and someone who is 'hard.' Life was hard. You lived in the South, as my grandparents did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/there-s-a-difference-between-someone-who-s-harsh-and-someone-who-is/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

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