I watched the film Anita, Speaking Truth to Power, where I was immediately brought to tears the moment her family walked into the senate room. From how she spoke about her families’ consistent support, to the friends that spoke out as a witness and stood beside her. Even while the white men who sat behind the table and their status, Hill never wavered from what she came there to do. Her sole purpose what to speak her truth, to make the public aware of who would be representing them, and ultimately creating a space for not only women but Black and marginalized women to feel as though they too could speak out.
Anita Hill speaks briefly to say that women should not view her story as a loss or be discouraged. Still, I believe that in viewing her story it allows one to ignite a fire, force change and eliminate stigmas crowding sexual assault issues. (In the workplace or domestic.) As we were made aware, Anita’s story at the time had been a taboo subject among men in Washington. They were not well equipped or, as Anita puts it, not well informed to handle such a nuanced issue in the public eye. They continually tried to use Anita’s experience to humiliate her and tamper her reputation in the public/media. Even after her 9 hr “interview,” which seemed more like an interrogation. Hill would have preferred to go back to Oklahoma, go back to teaching; however, the media and reporters had other plans. Even though this seemed like something that would completely shift the trajectory of Hill’s life, she used this as an advantage to speak loudly about what can be done to change the legal system and help sexual assault survivors.
In class, I would like to talk more about the prison system. Even though I have yet to watch the film Out in the Night, prison systems mishandled many issues, not just violence against women, specifically Black and marginalized. I believe the way it is used causes more harm, such as how prison is experienced for those with disabilities and the lack of mental health support to those who more often than not lack the resources elsewhere.
