Opinion Today: How Anita Hill sees the attacks on Kamala Harris

The insults hurled at the vice president are a reminder of how Republican senators once tried to shame Hill.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 28, 2024 By Patrick Healy Deputy Opinion Editor It was a transfixing moment in modern American history: a young law professor named Anita Hill coming forward to give testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee about alleged acts of sexual harassment by the Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Hill was there to speak about the fitness of Thomas for a lifetime appointment on the court; instead, she became the target of character assassination by Republican senators and their allies and party, a smear campaign that remained intense for years and has never entirely ended. I remember watching Hill's testimony in my dormitory lounge at Tufts University that October day, 33 years ago, and thinking how brave she was under the klieg lights as senators tried to discredit her. What stood out most was how Republicans tried to destroy Hill rather than grapple with the fact that the guy on their side — who was up for a position of enormous power — might have done something terribly wrong. A couple of weeks ago, I reached out to Hill, now a professor and author at Brandeis University, to see if she would consider writing a guest essay for Times Opinion about the way that Kamala Harris has dealt with attacks on her dignity, such as Donald Trump questioning her race and intelligence. Hill replied that she wanted to make an argument about how traits like character and competence can be targets of attack and how a person has choices in how to respond to them — and can be an inspiration to others in doing so. In her guest essay, Hill draws a bit on her own experience with the Thomas hearings and its aftermath to look at how a concerted attack on a person's authenticity and qualifications can be repelled by grace, composure, intellect, poise and, especially, a strong sense of dignity. The different personal smears involving race and gender that Hill and Harris have faced — 33 years apart — raise questions for me about the kinds of people who make such attacks on someone's identity and humanity, and how elected officials in positions of power countenance it. "I can tell you with confidence that the various and sundry racist, misogynist and sexist insults hurled at Ms. Harris must sting," Hill writes, reflecting on her experience with the Senate hearings on Thomas. "What helped me stay composed was knowing that I was not the first woman to have her sanity, truthfulness and virtue falsely impugned. Even now, when I am attacked, my mother's firm but gentle admonition rings in my ears: 'You know who you are and what you can do.' Lesson learned: Never let the people who despise you define you." Read the full essay: Damon Winter/The New York Times Guest Essay Anita Hill: The Smearing of Kamala Harris The insults hurled at Ms. Harris are a reminder of how Republican senators tried to shame me when I challenged Clarence Thomas's fitness. By Anita Hill Here's what we're focusing on today: Editors' Picks Guest Essay Michelle Obama: 'I Am Asking You, From the Core of My Being, to Take Our Lives Seriously' The former first lady shares an emotional appeal about how reproductive rights are on the line in this election. By Michelle Obama More From Opinion Democrats Won the Ad War. Will It Be Enough? See the states where By Gus Wezerek The Conversation Crazy Is Beginning to Sound Like an Understatement Election Day can't come soon enough. By Gail Collins and Bret Stephens Why I'm Voting Editorial members reflect on their personal stakes in the 2024 election By The Editorial Board Guest Essay Joseph J. Ellis: The Ideals of the Founders Are on the Ballot If Trump is president on July 4, 2026, the celebration will become a eulogy, for we will be honoring the corpse of the American republic. By Joseph J. Ellis Michelle Cottle Nevertheless, Ted Cruz Persists Many voters see the Texas senator as their unapologetic fighter. By Michelle Cottle David French Four Lessons From Nine Years of Being 'Never Trump' What do I wish my 2024 self could travel back and say to 2015 me? By David French Maureen Dowd How Bad Do You Want It, Ladies? Donald, your insecurity is showing. By Maureen Dowd Guest Essay Japan's Indispensable Political Party Is Faltering The Liberal Democrats, long the guiding force for Japan, are in disarray just when their country needs them the most. By Tomohiko Taniguchi The Opinions The Real Reasons the G.O.P. Is Spending Millions on Anti-Trans Ads Republicans are banking on an issue that isn't a priority for voters: trans rights. 18 MIN LISTEN Guest Essay What We Lose When Pharmacists Are Forced to Act Like Cops How the opioid crisis changed pharmacists' relationships with their patients. By Elizabeth Chiarello Guest Essay Two Billionaires, Two Newspapers, Two Acts of Self-Sabotage The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times have made a terrible decision on presidential endorsements. By Nancy Gibbs Guest Essay What Football Can Teach Politics Dwight Eisenhower learned leadership in an early job as a football coach. His success as president offers a few important lessons. By Sam Walker Nicholas Kristof Trump Acts Erratically. Is This Age-Related Decline? If he were my dad, I'd want to take away the car keys — and nuclear codes. By Nicholas Kristof Guest Essay No One Told Me This Would Happen to My Body in My 40s The decline in strength and increase in injuries is little recognized and far too infrequently discussed. By Eliza Barclay Jamelle Bouie We're Looking at the Wrong Gender Gap in Voting Young women support Harris more than young men support Trump. That might make the difference. By Jamelle Bouie Guest Essay You'll Have to Take My Glass From My Cold, Wine-Stained Hand People are turning away from drinking. But a glass of wine offers transcendent benefits that, for me, far outweigh the risks. By Boris Fishman Nic Antaya for The New York Times letters Jill Stein's Third-Party Candidacy Readers discuss Democrats' concerns that her bid will throw the election to Donald Trump. Also: Harris ads; drug-free treatments; regretting email. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Opinion Today newsletter from The New York Times. To stop receiving Opinion Today, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018