The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Anita Hill finally gets even

May 12, 2022

Anita Hill, a law professor at Brandeis University and a pivotal figure in the fight against sexual harassment, shares her remarkable journey from the 1991 Clarence Thomas hearings to her current advocacy. She discusses the profound impact of her testimony on society’s understanding of gender violence and reflects on the evolving concept of 'getting even.' Hill also critiques the Supreme Court nomination process for its lack of diversity and highlights the emotional toll on witnesses. Her insights into systemic discrimination and ongoing struggles inspire a continued fight for justice.

01:01:11

Episode guests

Anita Hill

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

3min

Retracing Anita Hill's Testimony

10min

Reimagining Equality: Beyond Opportunities to Fairness

2min

Diversity and Integrity in Judicial Nominations

10min

The Evolving Landscape of Supreme Court Confirmations

3min

Unpacking Judicial Integrity and Diversity

15min

Exploring Identity and Representation in the Context of Discrimination

3min

Understanding Gender: Progress and Challenges

13min

Vox's Fabiola Cineas talks with Anita Hill, whose testimony during the 1991 confirmation hearings for now-Justice Clarence Thomas highlighted the prominence of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual advances in the workplace. Hill discusses how those hearings changed her, whether or not she has respect for the Supreme Court as an institution, and how her fight to stop gender violence continues today.

Host: Fabiola Cineas (@FabiolaCineas), Reporter, Vox

Guest: Anita Hill (@AnitaHill), professor, Brandeis University

References:

Getting Even with Anita Hill (Pushkin)
Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence by Anita Hill (Viking; 2021)
Strange Justice: The Selling of Clarence Thomas by Jane Mayer and Jill Abramson (1994)

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This episode was made by:

Producer: Erikk Geannikis
Editor: Amy Drozdowska
Engineer: Patrick Boyd
Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

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