<p>By happenstance, I knew a lot about Condi Rice when she was fairly young, because we shared a mentor for a while. I am certain that affirmative action, formal and informal, helped her along early in her career. I also know for a fact that she was knocking people’s socks off with her intelligence, hard work, and skill in every position she ever had.</p>
<p>Affirmative action will give you both Condi Rices and Clarence Thomases, and everything in between. But, Lord knows, so will any other selection method you try. William O. Douglas was appointed to the Supreme Court at about the same age Clarence Thomas was, and he had all the qualifications Thomas lacked. I don’t think he was significantly better as a Justice, politics to the side.</p>
<p>Thomas’ autobiography is very affecting, by the way, at least to me. As a supporter of affirmative action, I am glad that he got the opportunities he did. I wish he had done more with them – I think he has it in him, somewhere. But even if he never rises above mediocrity, his prominence provides inspiration to later generations of conservative African Americans, and teaches white conservatives that a Black man can be as backward-looking, self-congratulatory and self-deluding as they. There’s real value in that.</p>