The Testimony of Anita Hill | 153
History of the 90s
Kathy Kenzora
4.7 • 609 Ratings
🗓️ 4 March 2026
⏱️ 34 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In July 1991 President George HW Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to the US Supreme Court. Initial reaction to the nomination suggested there would be a contentious Senate confirmation battle that would probe Thomas’s conservative views on issues such as abortion and affirmative action. But there was no real concern that Bush’s pick might not be approved. That is until one woman’s testimony threatened to derail the entire process.
In this episode of History of the 90s we look back at the moment when the little know concept of workplace sexual harassment was catapulted into public consciousness. This is the testimony of Anita Hill.
Guest Info:
Rev. Dr. Traci C. West; Professor of Christian Ethics and African American Studies at Drew University Theological School in Madison, NJ
Show Info:
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey there, it's Kathy. I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to History of the 90s |
| 0:04.7 | early and ad-free on Amazon music included with Prime. |
| 0:09.1 | A listener's note. The following episode contains coarse language, adult themes, and content |
| 0:14.2 | of a violent and disturbing nature, and may not be suitable for everyone. Listener discretion is advised. |
| 0:23.8 | In July 1991, U.S. President George H.W. Bush took a break from vacation, |
| 0:31.0 | a hold a news conference outside his summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine. |
| 0:35.7 | Well, I am very pleased to announce that I will nominate Judge Clarence Thomas to serve |
| 0:42.8 | as associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. |
| 0:46.4 | If confirmed, Clarence Thomas would become the second black U.S. Supreme Court justice. |
| 0:52.2 | He would replace the retiring Thurgood Marshall, who was the first |
| 0:56.1 | black judge appointed to the nation's highest court. Initial reaction to Thomas's nomination |
| 1:01.8 | suggested there would be a contentious Senate confirmation battle that would probe his conservative |
| 1:07.6 | views on issues like abortion and affirmative action. |
| 1:11.8 | But there was no real concern that Bush's pick might not be approved. |
| 1:16.7 | That is, until one woman's testimony threatened to derail the entire process. |
| 1:23.3 | I'm Kathy Kinsora, and this is History of the 90s, a podcast about a decade that changed the world. |
| 1:30.4 | In this episode, we look back at the moment when the little-known concept of workplace sexual harassment was catapulted into public consciousness. |
| 1:40.2 | This is the testimony of Anita Hill. |
| 1:46.2 | Following the nomination announcement by President Bush, |
| 1:49.4 | Clarence Thomas addressed reporters at the Kennebunkport News Conference. |
| 1:53.7 | He said, as a child, he never dreamed of seeing the Supreme Court, |
| 1:58.2 | never mind being nominated to it. |
... |
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