mr. chairman, senator thurmond, members of the committee, my name is anita f. hill, and i am a professor of law at the university of oklahoma. i was born on a farm in okmulgee county, oklahoma, in 1956. i am the youngest of 13 children. i had my early education in okmulgee county. my father, albert hill, is a farmer in that area. my mother's name is irma hill. she is also a farmer and a housewife.
my childhood was one of a lot of hard work and not much money, but it was one of solid family affection, as represented by my parents. i was reared in a religious atmosphere in the baptist faith, and i have been a member of the antioch baptist church in tulsa, oklahoma, since 1983. it is a very warm part of my life at the present time.
for my undergraduate work, i went to oklahoma state university and graduated from there in 1977. i am attaching to this statement a copy of my resume for further details of my education.
i graduated from the university with academic honors and proceeded to the yale law school, where i received my jd degree in 1980. upon graduation from law school, i became a practicing lawyer with the washington, dc, firm of ward, hardraker, and ross.
in 1981, i was introduced to now judge thomas by a mutual friend. judge thomas told me that he was anticipating a political appointment, and he asked if i would be interested in working with him. he was, in fact, appointed as assistant secretary of education for civil rights. after he had taken that post, he asked if i would become his assistant, and i accepted that position.
in my early period there, i had two major projects. the first was an article i wrote for judge thomas' signature on the education of minority students. the second was the organization of a seminar on high-risk students which was abandoned because judge thomas transferred to the eeoc where he became the chairman of that office.
during this period at the department of education, my working relationship with judge thomas was positive. i had a good deal of responsibility and independence. i thought he respected my work and that he trusted my judgment. after approximately three months of working there, he asked me to go out socially with him.
what happened next and telling the world about it are the two most difficult things -- experiences of my life. it is only after a great deal of agonizing consideration and sleepless number -- a great number of sleepless nights that i am able to talk of these unpleasant matters to anyone but my close friends.
i declined the invitation to go out socially with him and explained to him that i thought it would jeopardize what at the time i considered to be a very good working relationship. i had a normal social life with other men outside of the office. i believed then, as now, that having a social relationship with a person who was supervising my work would be ill-advised. i was very uncomfortable with the idea and told him so.
i thought that by saying no and explaining my reasons my employer would abandon his social suggestions. however, to my regret, in the following few weeks, he continued to ask me out on several occasions. he pressed me to justify my reasons for saying no to him. these incidents took place in his office or mine. they were in the form of private conversations which would not have been overheard by anyone else.
i declined any comment to newspapers, but later when senate staff asked me about these matters i felt i had a duty to report. i have no personal vendetta against clarence thomas. i seek only to provide the committee with information which it may regard as relevant.
it would have been more comfortable to remain silent. i took no initiative to inform anyone. but when i was asked by a representative of this committee to report my experience, i felt that i had to tell the truth. i could not keep silent.
ladies and gentlemen, good morning! i’m very glad to stand here and give you a short speech. man’s life is a proceof growing up, actually i’m standing here is a growth. if a person’s life must constituted by various choices, then i grow up along with these choices. once i hope i can study in a college in future, however that’s passed, as you know i come here, now i wonder what the future holds for me. when i come to this school, i told to myself: this my near future, all starts here. following i will learn to become a man, a integrated man, who has a fine body, can take on important task, has independent thought, an open mind, intensive thought, has the ability to judge right and wrong, has a perfect job. once my teacher said :” you are not sewing, you are stylist; never forget which you should lay out to people is your thought, not craft.” i will put my personality with my interest and ability into my study, during these procei will combine learning with doing. if i can achieve this “future”, i think that i really grow up. and i deeply believe kindred, good-fellowship and love will perfection and happy in the future. how to say future? maybe it’s a nice wish. lets make up our minds, stick to it and surely well enjoy our life.