2017 was the year of the ‘Me Too.’ Movement, but the message started long before. In 2006, Tarana Burke, and activist from The Bronx, started The ‘me too.’ Movement to provide support to victims of sexual violence. As such, please be advised that this article contains mentions of sexual violence and abuse.
On the “Me Too.” website, Tarana shares the heart-wrenching story of how she developed the foundation of The “me too.” Movement as a youth worker at a camp. She recalls a young girl opening up to her about the abuse she suffered from her mother’s boyfriend and how she was unsure of how to help.
I just watched her walk away from me, visibly struggling to recapture those secrets and tuck them back into their hiding place. I watched her put her “mask” back on her face and return to the world. And as I stood there, I couldn’t even bring myself to whisper the words circling my mind and soul: ‘me too.’
Tarana Burke
This conversation lit a match within Tarana, determined to help other women and girls who are victims of sexual violence, she set out to bring them resources and support, specifically for minority women. Thus, The “me too.” Movement was created.
On October 15, 2017, almost a decade after Burke began to use the phrase, actor Alyssa Milano tweeted a screenshot from The “me too.” Movement, paired with the call to action, “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet”. More than 30,000 people used the hashtag #MeToo in less than a day.
In the wake of the news of Harvey Weinstein’s abuse, many women felt empowered, or rather outraged, to share their own stories. #MeToo was used more than 19 million times on Twitter alone, an incredibly jarring statistic. As a result of this widespread demand for change, many abusers were brought to justice, and legislation was written to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
For her massive part in launching a movement that compelled women to speak out against their abusers, Tarana Burke was named Time’s Person of the Year 2017 along with “The silence breakers.” The ‘me too.’ Movement was so powerful that the Time article filled more than 40 pages with accounts of brave men and women sharing their stories.
Tarana Burke uses the momentum and following she gained from the explosion of the “Me Too.” Movement to educate others about the prevalence of sexual harassment and violence as well as create a community for women of color. She has authored two books, a memoir entitled “Unbound” and “You Are Your Best Things” which she co-wrote with Brené Brown.
Tarana Burke built the foundation of a movement that changed the world for the better. It is through her creation that millions of women were able to stand up for themselves and share their stories.