The Daily Bulletin Archive

The Beyond Boundaries: Dare to Be Diverse Screening and Discussion Series presents the documentary film Anita: Speaking Truth to Power on Thursday, April 16, at 7:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center. Panelists will be Theresa Harris-Tigg, assistant professor of English, and Josephine Greco, attorney with Greco Trapp, PLLC.

An entire country watched transfixed as a poised, beautiful African American woman sat before a Senate committee of 14 white men and with a clear, unwavering voice recounted the repeated acts of sexual harassment she endured while working with U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. That October day in 1991, Anita Hill, a bookish law professor from Oklahoma, was thrust onto the world stage and instantly became a celebrated, hated, venerated, and divisive figure.

Hill’s graphic testimony was a turning point for gender equality in the United States and ignited a political firestorm about sexual misconduct and power in the workplace that still resonates today. She has become an American icon, empowering millions of women and men around the world to stand up for equality and justice.

Against a backdrop of sex, politics, and race, Anita reveals the intimate story of a woman who spoke truth to power. Directed by Academy Award–winning filmmaker Freida Lee Mock, the film is both a celebration of Hill’s legacy and a rare glimpse into her private life with friends and family members, many of whom were by her side that fateful day 22 years ago. Hill courageously speaks openly and intimately for the first time about her experiences that led her to testify before the Senate and the obstacles she faced in simply telling the truth. She also candidly discusses what happened to her life and work in the 22 years since.

Beyond Boundaries: Dare to Be Diverse is curated by Ruth Goldman, Meg Knowles, Michael Niman, and Jason Parker and is co-sponsored by the Buffalo State Communication Department, the Equity and Campus Diversity Office, the Burchfield Penney Art Center, and the Grant Allocation Committee. This event is free and open to the public.