by Dolores M. Klein, Peoria, IL
On C-Span recently, I watched Anita Hill being honored at an event commemorating the 20th anniversary of her testimony against Clarence Thomas’ appointment to the Supreme Court. It was a valuable afternoon of insights and contemplations by a gathering of human rights advocates of all ages and backgrounds.
On a special program the evening before on CNN, a serious in-depth look at Bullying, “Sexual Harassment” wasn’t mentioned, but what else did that experience involve if not a special kind of bullying? Before that term was coined, those of us who dealt with it on the job knew we had to take it or just quit our jobs!
Speakers at one point on the C-Span program, brought up the recent case of the New York hotel maid who accused a French National Official of rape. It was pointed out that afterwards, a French woman came forward and accused him also. As in the Anita Hill case, neither woman was vindicated, but the attention escalated, with women becoming emboldened to speak out.
One speaker said, yes, Clarence Thomas did get on the Supreme Court, but that French official will not ever get to be President of France!