(ThyBlackMan.com) Ten times a day I am compelled to reflect on my past life … and I can never justify to myself… I have sworn an oath to endure no more of it…The subject is exhausted; and so am I…-George Bernard Shaw
In 1991, I was in high school when Ms. Anita Faye Hill, now a U.S. attorney and a university professor, became a national figure when she accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, her boss at the United States Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, of sexual harassment. In a televised hearing, Ms. Hill described how Mr. Thomas had sexually harassed her while he was her supervisor at the Department of 
Education and the EEOC. The single best thing I remember vividly about Ms. Hill’s testimony in front of the Senate, a room full of men in charge of confirming Mr. Thomas as a federal Circuit Judge, was how strong and unflinching she appeared. I also remember feeling proud that she was speaking out even though her career was at risk.
Today almost thirty years later, we have an overwhelming number of women like Ms. Hill who are sharing their stories and speaking out about their own experiences of sexual harassment at work. It’s as if these women are saying to Ms. Hill, “me too.” In fact, it is the #metoo movement, a hashtag with so much power which according to an article in the Atlantic that has been tweeted nearly half a million times, that is shining a gleaming light into the “good old boys club,” and I for one, am glad for it. I am happy that I am old enough now to appreciate the sheer magnitude of this movement, because harassment is something that I’ve dealt with in the past working with men who were my superior or who perceived themselves as superior. Thanks to Ms.Tarana Burke, the woman who started the #metoo movement a decade ago, many women, including myself, have found our voices.
To appreciate the sheer magnitude and the value of this movement, you have to understand that many years ago harassment at work was so rampant that it was almost normalized. Also, women just didn’t talk about it, and neither did I. Thus, I began to expect it in meetings where men dominate the conversation. I started to expect it when I approached them in their offices and during holiday parties. So, I was not surprised when so many women were sharing their stories of sexual, and other harassments in the workplace.
After a while, I pushed it out of my mind, but I was still affected by it just the same. I used to feel bad and not very smart. Moreso, I felt like a piece of meat trying to keep my job and survive in the “old boys club.” Big girls don’t cry, and if I wanted to be a part of the boys club, I had to suck it in and pretend I liked it. At that time, I did because I didn’t want to be left out of an important email or a meeting. I didn’t want to appear too soft, and bypassed for a promotion. And so many other things that powerful men do to put you in your place.
Now with the #metoo movement, I don’t have to play along to get credit for my hard work. Now, I can say, please don’t talk to me that way, or please look at my face and not my boobs. And don’t comment on my dress or the way I’m wearing that blouse. All in all, I’m glad it’s all out in the open, and we have officially shut down the “good old boys club” for good. That’s my story; thank you Ms. Hill and Ms. Burke.
Staff Writer; Kency Desmangles
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