Anita Hill & Katy Perry Awarded For Feminism At Brooklyn Museum

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK -- Anita Hill and Katy Perry will be honored for their feminist workwith Diane von Furstenberg awards at the Brooklyn Museum Wednesday night.

The 10th annual DVF Awards will celebrate five women at the Brooklyn Museum, where Hill, now a professor of law and women's studies at Brandeis University, will be awarded The Lifetime Leadership Award for her work fighting sexual harassment after she famously testified against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas at a U.S. Senate hearing.

Hill's experiences have been compared recently to that of Christine Blasey Ford, the psychologist who accused Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in high school.

But Von Furstenburg told WWD that it was the Netflix documentary "Anita," which detailed Hill's experiences during her testimony, that spurred the fashion icon to honor Hill.

“Remember, this is a black woman in front of all these white senators talking about the penis and pubic hairs," von Furstenberg reportedly said. “This is the right year for her."

Perry, an international pop star, will receive the Inspiration Award to honor for her work as a UNICEG goodwill ambassador and advocacy for LGBTQ+ equality, which have earned her numerous accolades including the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award in 2016, the Trevor Project's Hero Award in 2012, the Human Rights Campaign's National Equality Award in 2017, and amfAR’s Award of Courage in 2018.

"Honored to be recognized in the company of some of the world's fiercest women," Perry tweeted when the awards were announced, "for using my voice and platform for the only thing that matters - constantly striving to spread light and create positive change."

Two International Awards will be granted to Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad, of Iraq, for her advocacy for survivor of genocide and sexual violence and Hadeel Mustafa Anabtawi, of Jordan, for the educational hub The Alchemist Lab, which has brought training to more than than 25,000 children across the globe.

And Susan Burton, an advocate for formerly incarcerated women and founder of A New Way of Life Reentry ProjectOpens a New Window, will be granted the People’s Voice DVF Award.

The Brooklyn Museum event will feature a performance by Chloe x Halle and a tour of the exhibit, “Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving,” which launched in February.