A Movie That Hit Home - Personal Experience:

I was a child when these scandal broke,living in the deep south. When Anita Hill spoke with such conviction, she inspired so many women to do the same,one of those women being my own mother. Always talkative,bubbly and a people person, my mom was an executive assistant for a known textile manufacturer. She was not only sexually harassed by her direct employer, but by many of his colleagues as well.
Abuses included unwarranted sexual advances,blunt and offensive comments about her female anatomy, pornographic material that was often left on her desk with suggestive overtones, sexually explicit jokes told referring to her sexual performance, as well as many other abuses that all but included physical contact; ie rape,groping, fondling.

In those days, sexual harassment was a non issue and NEVER taken seriously. IF you complained, you were told that you were a woman that was 'too emotional' or 'too sensitive'. My mother DID complain and the harassment actually got worse. Being the only black woman in the corporate office, my mother often felt isolated and cornered, BUT she stayed at the company some 23 years, working her way up the ladder till she was an executive herself.

I was too young to understand what was going on with my mother, but it all made sense when I was of some age and maturity; the long cries in the bathroom right when she walked in the door, the moodiness, depression,even as a young boy, I knew my mother had changed, she being my only parent.

Ms. Anita Hill gave my mother strength and dignity, something she never had during the hardest time in her life.

To sum up my mother's suffering, after the 'trial' (because that is what it was) my mother bought a pink pearl handled Saturday Night Special (typical lady's gun whom she named 'Sally'). She then agreed to go out on a 'date' with one of the harassers. Mother then told me when he man went to grope her, right at the dinner table mind you, she crossed her legs, 'Sally' in clear view,tucked in her thigh high nylons.

My mother ALWAYS laughs when she retells what happened, She said the man turned ghostly white as she said, "Mr.xxxx I wouldn't do that if I was you sir."

Needless to say she was NEVER harassed EVER AGAIN, though the men DID make occasional jokes about her being a 'gun totting hot hussy' (whatever that means).

I had to relate that experience, the resolution still makes me chuckle to this day. I am so very proud of my mother, then and now.

Love ya mama

P.s. I now have 'Sally' in my gun collection locked in storage-I plan on framing her and placing her in my study when I buy my first home.