January 23, 2004

Anita Hill celebrates Martin Luther King Day with MGHers

An event well known for showcasing prestigious speakers who have had an impact on the civil rights movement, the celebration of Martin Luther King Day this year featured Professor Anita Hill, a renowned lawyer, educator, author and civil rights activist. Held in the O'Keeffe Auditorium Jan. 16, the celebration marked the 75th anniversary of the slain civil rights leader's birth, and was the fifth annual Partners-sponsored MLK Day celebration held at the MGH.

Currently a professor of Social Policy, Law and Women's Studies at Brandeis University's Heller School, Hill became a national public figure in the 1980s when she was a witness in the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. She has been outspoken on issues of gender and racial equality in the workplace, giving lectures around the country and writing numerous articles for publications such as Newsweek and the New York Times. Pictured above, from left, Mondejar, Davis, Hill, Ron Greene and Holliday.

Hill delivered an eloquent speech, recounting her youth in rural Oklahoma when the groundbreaking US Supreme Court case — Brown vs. the Board of Education — ended federally-sanctioned racial segregation in the public schools system. "As we recognize the 50th anniversary of Brown vs. the Board of Education and celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, the two cannot be separated," she said. "His dream influenced an entire era. He gave us a reason to believe that we could achieve the American dream. I'm here to celebrate Martin Luther King Day as a matter of right and privilege. I, like many others, have benefited from the previous generation, and now I'm concerned about how my generation will be remembered."

Hill also spoke about the hardships that have been endured and the progress that has been made as a result of racial integration, citing the efforts of prominent leaders such as Charles Hamilton Houston, who is known as the father of modern civil rights, and Thurgood Marshall, who won the Brown vs. Board of Education case and went on to become the first African-American Supreme Court justice. "Because of those before us, we have had a voice," she said. "We should do what Dr. King had advised, to commit ourselves to the struggle for equality and humanity."

To thank Hill for visiting the MGH, Jeff Davis, senior vice president for Human Resources, Win Williams, MD, director of the MGH Multicultural Affairs Office, and Loretta Holliday, chair of the Association of Multicultural Members of Partners, presented her with a special MGH gift — an engraved mirror with a picture of the Bulfinch Building. "How can you not be flattered when someone gives you a piece of their heart," said Hill.

Also at the event, Peter L. Slavin, MD, president of the MGH, spoke about the hospital's progress in diversity efforts for employees and patients. Oswald Mondejar from MGH Human Resources introduced the MGH Black Achievers for 2004 — Marva Bodden-Carr, of MGH Police and Security; Yvonne Parr, of MGH Vincent Obstetrics and Gynecology Service; Sandra Wright, of MGH Radiology, along with Partners employee Ben Powers. Deborah Washington, RN, MSN, director of Diversity for Patient Care Services, introduced Sonji Williams, a staff assistant for MGH Pathology and a professional singer, who provided the musical entertainment for the event.