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Professor Anita Faye Hill
The issue of sexual harassment has sparked much debate in the last decade. Anita Hill was the brave women who independently decided to step forward after hearing that her harasser was going to hold a position on the United States Supreme Court (the highest court in the nation). Her accusations led to the famous Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas hearings that sparked a nationwide debate about the nature of sexual harassment in the workplace. The attention given to the testimony made many companies and corporations reconsider their policies on sexual harassment. Even though the Equal Employment Oportunity Commission (EEOC) had set guidelines for sexual harassment in 1980, a remarkable increase in public consciousness about workplace harassment didn't show itself until October, 1991, because of the couragous effort of one brave women, Anita Hill. The testimony in the end stripped away much of Anita Hill's privacy and forever linked her with the issue of sexual harassment and the Clarence Thomas hearings. Although this is not a platform she enjoys, she has put it to good use, giving everybody a better understanding and awareness of sexual harassment and how the victim suffers a greater penalty than the perpetrator. She now prefers to talk about racism and women more generally, from 19th-century slavery to today's controversy over affirmative action. Anita Hill has shown courage in a situation that would have scared the average person. She has taught us that no matter what the odds are or how little people are going to believe you, you still need to do what you think is right. Raz ItzhakiAnita Hill States :"It would have been more comfortable to remain silent."
Jennifer Coburn on Sexual Harassment Portland State University
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