Many of us remember the
Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas hearing in 1991. We remember believing Hill's testimony of Thomas's blatant sexual harassment. And we remember the disgust we felt watching how Anita Hill was treated at the hearing, only to see
Clarence Thomas go on to take a seat on the Supreme Court, appointed by George H.W. Bush.
I still cringe when I hear the name, Clarence Thomas, knowing how he turned the tables around on Hill, and did his best to vilify her. He did this while crying racial discrimination. Ironically, several years after the hearing, Justice Thomas officiated and hosted (in his own home) the third wedding of his racist buddy, Rush Limbaugh.
Some reports say other women reportedly came forward with similar allegations, but chose not to testify, or were not allowed to speak at the hearing.
The film is called, 'Anita' and is due for release on March 21, 2014. It was directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Freida Mock. In the trailer we see Joe Biden, John McCain, and several other familiar faces who may or may not appear favorably to the new viewing public.
The documentary not only gives a fresh account of the Hill/Thomas hearing 22 years later, it also honors a woman who was more than scorned for speaking out against sexual harassment. We are indebted to Hill, as her trial set the stage for new laws protecting women (and men) from sexual and gender discrimination, on and off the job.
Why did Hill come forward?
“My concern was that I had information about the fitness of an individual who was going to sit on the highest court of the land,” said Anita Hill in an interview.
During a Georgetown University event and discussion about the Hill/Thomas hearing, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) stated:
“Sexual harassment was something women didn’t even want to speak about. They felt cornered by it. They felt trapped by it, “Norton said. “Something had to be done. We had to talk about it.”
Talking about it wasn’t the only thing women did. Within five years, the number of EEOC complaints for sexual harassment doubled. And after realizing their lack of representation in Congress, more women were inspired to run for office. In 1992, the following year, a record number of women ran for new seats in the House and Senate - and won. It was called, 'The Year Of The Woman'.
Here is the 'Anita' documentary trailer:
Note: This diary has been updated and reposted with additional information. Thank you, Kossack, 'nail bender' for providing some new links.
Special thanks to Hillary Crosley/Jezebel