Anita Hill, credited with putting the issue of sexual harassment on the nation’s political and corporate agenda, will give the keynote address at the 2005 UCI Rainbow Festival and Conference. She will discuss race, gender, the confirmation process for Supreme Court justices, and issues the court will face in coming months. Hill is the author of Speaking Truth to Power, which explores her background and personal experiences testifying at the 1991 confirmation hearing of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Now a professor of social policy, law and women’s studies at Brandeis University’s Heller School of Social Policy and Management, Hill speaks and publishes widely on the issues of race and gender.

Sponsored by the Cross-Cultural Center, the Rainbow Festival and Conference is an annual campuswide event that highlights the importance of ethnic and cultural diversity. This year’s theme, “Where Are We Now?,” explores the critical issues of race, gender and class to see what changes have occurred over the past 40 years. Running Nov. 1-3, the event offers free panel discussions and workshops, as well as a cultural fair each day showcasing ethnic artifacts, artwork and food, and dance performances.

2005 Rainbow Festival and Conference Schedule of Events:

Tuesday, Nov. 1

• Cultural Fair. 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Ring Mall, UCI campus

Wednesday, Nov. 2

• Cultural Fair and Performances. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Ring Mall
• Workshop: “A Future Uncertain? Diversified Curriculum at UCI” with Evette Castillo, dean of students at San Diego State University; Douglas Haynes, associate professor of history at UCI; and Jose Moreno, assistant professor of Chicano and Latino studies at California State University, Long Beach. 2-3:30 p.m., Cross-Cultural Center Conference Room
• Keynote Address: “Race, Gender and The Supreme Court” with Anita Hill. 8 p.m., Humanities Instructional Building, Room 100

Thursday, Nov. 3

• Workshop: “Crisis in Labor” with Bill Fletcher Jr., president and CEO of TransAfrica Forum. 3-4 p.m., Cross-Cultural Center Conference Room
• Workshop: “Crash” film showing and panel discussion. 7-10 p.m. Humanities Instructional Building, Room 100