I Believe Anita Hill

Last night, hundreds gathered in Columbia, SC to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Anita Hill’s testimony on Capitol Hill. Seeing her was monumental. Not only does Anita represent a force for women in the law, in government, and in society, but her story is especially personal for me this year. As a woman who has experienced not being believed in the workplace when I (and others) reported sexual harassment, I felt incredibly “heard” last night. Seeing hundreds of people supporting Anita, made me, in turn, feel incredibly supported by my community here in Columbia.

Even more inspirational, Anita has managed to move on from the sexual harassment incident that has, in so many ways, defined her. She’s a lawyer in her own right, and last night, she lectured on the issues that move her: disparate impact, racial injustice, poverty, and affordable housing. And the greatest moment of the evening, after speaking on her hope that housing communities will one day be totally integrated, she panned the room, and said “much like here tonight.” I looked around, and she was right. It was a room of men and women, of all ages, races, and creeds, uniting around this one, incredible woman. Actually seeing the vision she has for society, was hopeful and overwhelming.

I’m already marking my calendar for next year, and if next year is anything like this year, I think we’ll all walk away feeling just a little braver.