“Professor Anita Hill lifted my feminism from my soul and inner circle of cohorts and into a public place.”

For their Crush of the Week series, Racialicious highlights Anita Hill, recalling her dignity and quiet courage during Clarence Thomas’s confirmation hearings.

Her bravery got her torn apart in some corners, but it also paved the way for sexual-harassment legislation and even the election of more women to Congress. Basically, we all owe her a drink next time we run into her.