Christine Blasey Ford

Kamala Harris
Updated
Christine Blasey Ford is one of the most influential people of 2019. She gave a voice to survivors of sexual violence, Kamala Harris says.

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.

Harris, a Senator from California, is a Democratic presidential candidate

See TIME's full list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2019