HILL CITES CIVIL RIGHTS HEADWAY

Anita Hill's grandfather was born a slave. Two generations later, Hill serves as a University of Oklahoma law professor, proof of civil rights progress in America.

But Hill said that same progress masks racism that still exists. The civil rights movement must move to a new level, she said.

"People do get tired; they get tired of talking about it and tired of listening to it," said Hill. "It's easier to say, 'let's rest for now,' but there are too many problems going on in society to rest."

Hill talked with students at Southeast Missouri State University Monday. She was keynote speaker at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast.

Hill joined Hamner Hill's judicial reasoning class. University classes were canceled Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, but students in the class attended the session with Hill. Spectators were allowed to observe the class.

The topic for the seminar was critical race theory, a movement in legal circles that suggests American law is dominated by race bias. In preparing for the lecture, students were assigned to read King's "Letter from the Birmingham Jail."

During the discussion, Hill talked about the difference between equality as a process and a result, a principle of critical race theory.

She said, "Even though you remove the formal rules, that doesn't mean the way of dealing with each other changes."

Laws say people have the right to vote; laws don't say people will vote. "You can't have the process of slavery," she said. "But the law doesn't say you can't have certain badges of slavery. You have got to look at what really happens, not just what we would like it to be."

Hill believes racism permeates American society but a very small portion of the population agrees.

Process refers to laws, and results are changes in the way people behave.

"If racism is out there, how can you insure that the process is just, if you don't see any results?" she asked.

Hill said violence and crime often are linked to racism. She sees a generation of young black people in need of direction.

Students asked several questions about California's Proposition 187, a law limiting government services to illegal aliens.

"Do you think 187 will be applied on a color-blind basis?" she asked. "Who will be checked for documentation? Do you think the regular, average Anglo-Saxon is going to be questioned?"

Students also questioned affirmative action and if it can be carried too far. Hill said that hasn't happened.

"If it had gone too far, you would see boardrooms filled with blacks, blacks who are unqualified," Hill said. "That hasn't happened."

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Highlights

Anita Hill tells a crowd of more than 800 at the Show Me Center that violence and oppression against women weakens the nation.

University of Oklahoma law professor, whose grandfather was born a slave, discusses progress the struggle for civil rights in America.

America pauses to commemorate slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., page 2.

Charlotte Wade, a longtime volunteer of the Teen Challenge Thrift Store in Cape Girardeau, receives with May Greene Elementary School the city's Martin Luther King Jr. award, page 5.