In 2018, psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford brought accusations of sexual harassment against Brett Kavanaugh, who at the time was running for Supreme Court Justice. During the hearing, Ford bravely shares her experience with the nominee back in high school when he sexually assaulted her when she was 15.
She shared about how she was at a party, and a drunken Kavanaugh 17, physically assaulted her. Kavanaugh had denied all those allegations, and during the hearing, he claimed on how this was a conspiracy against the Clinton’s and how he asked for a fair trial.
I remember watching the hearing myself with my mom and watching this dramatic hearing unfold mostly Kavanaugh had acted, made me realize that this guy will not make it in the Supreme Court. Oh, how wrong was I?
Not only did the court denied the allegations. Kavanaugh was then voted in the Supreme Court, leaving most women asking, “Where is the justice?”
While the aftermath left people disjointed in the outcome, it wasn’t the first time that something like this has happened.
Thirty-five years ago, law professor Anita Hill accused Supreme Court Justice nominee, Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, back in 1991. Hill knew Thomas when she was his supervisor at the Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity and Commission (EEOC).
Hills would explain how Thomas would switch the conversations from a related topic to inappropriate and vivid sexual acts that made her uncomfortable.
An audio recording from the History website shared a sampled Hill’s statement with what these discussions would involve. “He spoke about acts he had seen and pornographic films involving in such women having sex with animals and films showing group sex or rape scenes,”.
While Hill’s was sexually harassed and Ford was attacked, it doesn’t make their experience any less different from the people they were accusing. Both of them coming forward to share their stories, both passing polygraph tests proving they were telling the truth, and both men enrolled in a Supreme Court Justice.
However, there are still other differences between the cases that are visible.
Time Period
The #MeToo Movement was at its prime moment, and Ford’s hearing was at the center of it all. The movement included women sharing their experience of sexual assault and harassment and coming together to put an end to sexual violence. In 1991, there were no movements at all, Hill’s had no movement during that time period, and her being a woman of color her claims weren’t taken seriously.
The Senate
During Hills hearing, most of the Senate comprised white males that were mostly Republican. Only two women served at the time where one Republican and one Democratic. With Ford’s hearing, there was more diversity within the Senate, and more women involved that comprised mostly democrats. Today there are 23 female senators, nearly a quarter of the Senate.
As of now, according to Pew Research Center, a record 102 women will serve in the incoming House of Representatives, comprising 23.4% of the chamber’s voting members.
Thomas and Kavanaugh
While both men were Supreme Court nominees. Both were accused of different things. Thomas was accused of sexual harassment in a work environment, having inappropriate conversations with Hill’s about his sexual interest.
Kavanaugh was accused of the sexual assault of Ford when they were both teenagers.
History has a habit of repeating itself. These cases are eerily similar, it’s frightening. But the period between them has made a significant impact from years to come. I believe that if it weren’t for Anita Hill’s case, we wouldn’t have as much information as with Christine Blasey Ford.
In fact, Ford’s bravery has paved the way for more women coming forward to speak their truth and not be in fear of those who brought them down. If we learn from the past, we’ll have a better future.
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