PALO ALTO, CA — Christine Blasey Ford, the Palo Alto University professor who challenged a U.S. Supreme Court nominee and captivated a nation, has been selected as one of “Time” magazine’s “100 Most Influential People.”
“Time” announced its pick Wednesday for her appearance before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee evaluating whether to move forward with then-nominee Justice Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, a man she accused of attempted rape when they were teenagers.
The university research psychology professor from Palo Alto has been selected for the magazine’s “icon” category. U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris wrote a stirring tribute to the woman who rocked the nation with her emotionally charged testimony in which she relayed “indelible” memories of her “100 percent certainty” that the man who tried to rape her was U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Kavanaugh, who was also selected on the “Time” list, was later nominated and sworn in for the bench after vehemently denying the allegations.
Ford’s allegations against U.S. President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee went public a few weeks before her testimony in which she wrote a letter to U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, in the hopes it may bring pause to the Senate deciding to nominate Kavanaugh. Eshoo handed the letter over to U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who as a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, requested a delay of the vote for his confirmation. At the time, Ford was an anonymous accuser.
Since she went public, Ford has experienced more attention than she desires and even threats, according to sources close to the professor.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Ford went public with her claim that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a house party in 1982 when they were young. The testimony viewed by millions provided an undaunted glimpse into the woman’s account of an incident that occurred years ago.
Harris, a former prosecutor, looked in a rare instance to be shell-shocked by Ford’s account.
“Her story, spoken while holding back tears, shook Washington and the country. Her courage, in the face of those who wished to silence her, galvanized Americans. And her unfathomable sacrifice, out of a sense of civic duty, shined a spotlight on the way we treat survivors of sexual violence.
Christine Blasey Ford’s ambition wasn’t to become a household name or make it onto this list. She had a good life and a successful career—and risked everything to send a warning in a moment of grave consequence.
At her core, she is a teacher. And through her courage, she forced the country to reckon with an issue that has too often been ignored and kept in the dark,” – U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., a Democratic presidential candidate, wrote for “Time.”
In some respects – just as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg is referred to as the notorious “RBG” – Ford may etch her “CBF” initials on the halls of history for those that stand for “courage beyond the formidable,” according to her supporters.
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Whatever the case, she will be remembered for overcoming insurmountable odds at taking on the system.
Indeed, protests and various measures of support from sexual abuse survivors blanketed the nation, including one outside Palo Alto City Hall, where then Palo Alto Mayor Liz Kniss opened up the council chambers for the community to gather to watch the testimony.
Kniss told Patch of her own sexual assault survivor’s account.
“She showed commendable bravery taht almost all women admire. I certainly was one of those who celebrated her recognition on the Time cover,” Kniss told Patch. “What an honor – and so deserved.”
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