Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • NPR

    Anita Hill's Challenge To Clarence Thomas: A Tale Of 2 Lives And 3 Elections

    The electoral connection was critical throughout the Thomas nomination process. Two elections that took place in the 1980s were not only preludes but determinants of the drama that would unfold.
    by Ron Elving Sep 20, 2018 5 minutes
    Law professor Anita Hill takes oath on Oct. 12 1991, before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C. Hill accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment.

    Brett Kavanaugh is not the first presidential nominee to have his run to the Supreme Court frozen at the finish line by a woman's accusations.

    Throughout this week of turmoil in Washington, the historical backstory has been the 1991 confrontation between Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas and a former colleague named Anita Hill.

    The classic clash of his and her testimony forced the reopening of Thomas' confirmation hearings and mesmerized a national TV audience for days. Hill won many believers with her powerful narrative of sexual harassment when she and Thomas were both lawyers at the Department of Education (and later at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission).

    Thomas came back with a spirited defense, accusing "white liberals" on the Judiciary Committee of "a high tech lynching" to put "uppity blacks" in their place if they chose to be conservatives.

    You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

    More from NPR

    NPR2 min readWorld
    A Baby Girl Born Orphaned And Premature After An Israeli Airstrike In Gaza Has Died
    The newborn died after five days in an incubator. Her family was killed in an air strike. UNICEF says 13,000 children have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, with thousands more orphaned and wounded.
    NPR5 min read
    DRC Is Seeing Its Worst Mpox Outbreak — But Has No Vaccines Or Treatments Yet. Why?
    With nearly 5,000 cases reported so far this year — and concerns about a new strain — the Democratic Republic of Congo is considering the declaration of a public health emergency.
    NPR4 min read
    Taylor Swift Fans Mean Business With Tortured Poets Soap, Eras Yarn, Kelce Cookies
    Entrepreneurial Swifties are selling crafty products inspired by Taylor Swift's music and style. Swift herself has been known to send notes and even homemade gifts to creative super-fans.

    Related Books & Audiobooks