*#Me neither. That’s what a lot of folks will probably be saying when they learn that a Black woman actually created the Movement 10 years ago that today is kicking ass and taking names.
Timing is everything I guess, and race is anything else.
The Movement apparently garnered importance after Caucasian actresses and models came out against sexual predator, Harvey Weinstein.
But when Tarana Burke, an African American woman, created the #MeToo Movement 10 years ago to encourage women of color to speak out against sexual assault sought support, we heard nothing but crickets.
Burke, a 44-year-old sexual assault survivor, said she coined the phrase, #MeToo to connect with other women of color that have been through similar experiences.
?It was a catchphrase to be used from survivor to survivor to let folks know that they were not alone and that a movement for radical healing was happening and possible,? she said in an interview.
According to HuffPost, in recent weeks, as the hashtag gathered momentum, actress Alyssa Milano had been credited for starting the movement. And as any woman of class would do, once Milano learned of the 2007 movement, and that Burke was the originator, she quickly went to Twitter to let it be known.
I was just made aware of an earlier #MeToo movement, and the origin story is equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring https://goo.gl/mh79fF
justbeinc | The ‘me too.’ Movement
The ‘me too.’ Movement
A NewsOne report states…
Burke said that she was humbled by the fact that her idea connected to and empowered so many women on social media. In a series of tweets, she delved into why she initially created the grassroots campaign. ?The point of the work we?ve done over the last decade with the ?me too movement? is to let women, particularly young women of color know that they are not alone ? it?s a movement,? Burke tweeted. ?It?s beyond a hashtag. It?s the start of a larger conversation and a movement for radical community healing.?
Signing off #MeToo
…You?
