While he was a graduate student at John Carroll University, Thomas also worked as an intern in Clinical Psychology for the Cleveland Receiving Hospital.
[1] After he obtained his Master's degree, Thomas worked for a rehabilitation and vocational guidance center in Cleveland, Ohio.
For his diversity initiatives, Thomas invited African American musicians, singers, and comedians to perform on campus.
Thomas' efforts allowed for an awareness inside the community and university that would impact social change.
"[2] As one of the founders of the ABP, Thomas shaped the early history of Black psychology within American universities.
[3] Thomas wanted Black people to feel that they belonged in U.S. society and that they had purpose regardless of their racial identity.
[3] In October 1968, Thomas published a paper titled "Boys No More: Some Social Psychological Aspects of the New Black Ethic.
Thomas recorded that society managed to keep racial groups within a subordinate role for a long time, including in such institutions as formal education.
Thomas ended his article by relaying that now is a time for being proactive rather than sitting back and hoping change happens.
In addition, he contended that more effort needed to be put towards finding a solution rather than ignoring the problem of racism in the U.S.[5] Thomas was married to Shirley Wade, an educational sociologist,[6] and they had two children, Charles III and Shawn Leilane.