The Guardian quotes Blackstone in article on Joe Biden, Anita Hill
The Guardian quoted Amy Blackstone, a professor of sociology at the University of Maine, in the article “Joe Biden’s non-apology to Anita Hill casts long shadow over 2020 run.” Blackstone conducted a long-running study of views on sexual harassment that surveyed people in their early 20s at the time of the 1991 Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, chaired by Biden, in which Hill presented sexual harassment allegations against Thomas, her supervisor. “It’s really interesting how many of them noted, without being prompted by me at all, the Thomas hearings as sort of this turning point for them in their consciousness about workplace sexual harassment,” said Blackstone. “I don’t think that cohort from our sample is unique in any way, at least in that respect. Certainly it was a turning point for many people in the country in terms of our awareness about harassment as an issue, and about the reality that for many women, they’re not alone in that experience.” In public statements and speeches, Hill has repeatedly called for a better process for handling the testimony of victims of sexual violence, the article states. “Anita Hill really has been just such an amazing leader in terms of speaking out about harassment and getting us to think more deeply about the impact that it has on people,” Blackstone said.