Tarana Burke (born September 12, 1973) is an American
activist
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...
from
The Bronx, New York
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New York ...
, who started the
MeToo movement
#MeToo is a social movement against sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and rape culture, in which people publicize their experiences of sexual abuse or sexual harassment. The phrase "Me Too" was initially used in this context on social media ...
. In 2006, Burke began using MeToo to help other women with similar experiences to stand up for themselves. Over a decade later, in 2017, #MeToo became a viral
hashtag
A hashtag is a metadata tag that is prefaced by the hash (also known as pound or octothorpe) sign, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services such as Twitter or Instagram as a form of user-generated ...
when
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in '' Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in '' My Name Is Earl'', Sa ...
Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases
In October 2017, ''The New York Times'' and ''The New Yorker'' reported that dozens of women had accused film producer Harvey Weinstein of rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse over a period of at least 30 years. Over 80 women in the film ind ...
. The phrase and hashtag quickly developed into a broad-based, and eventually international movement.
''Time'' named Burke, among a group of other prominent activists dubbed "the silence breakers", as the ''Time'' Person of the Year for 2017. Burke presents at
public speaking
Public speaking, also called oratory or oration, has traditionally meant the act of speaking face to face to a live audience. Today it includes any form of speaking (formally and informally) to an audience, including pre-recorded speech delive ...
events across the country and is currently Senior Director at
Girls for Gender Equity
Girls for Gender Equity (GGE) is a Brooklyn, New York-based, inter-generational non-profit organization, initiated by a black feminist lens, dedicated to strengthening local communities by creating opportunities for young women and girls to live ...
in Brooklyn.
Early life and education
Burke was born in
The Bronx, New York
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New York ...
, and raised in the area. She grew up in a
low-income
Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little
working-class
The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
family in a
housing project
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local. Although the common goal of public housing is to provide affordable housing, the details, terminology, d ...
and was raped and sexually assaulted both as a child and a teenager. Her mother supported her recovery from these violent acts and encouraged her to be involved in the community. In her biography Burke states that these experiences inspired her to work to improve the lives of girls who undergo extreme hardships. As a teenager, she began improving the lives of young girls living in marginalized communities. Burke attended
Alabama State University
Alabama State University (ASU) is a public historically black university in Montgomery, Alabama. Founded in 1867, ASU is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
History
Alabama State University was founded in 1867 as the ...
then transferred and graduated from
Auburn University at Montgomery
Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) is a public university in Montgomery, Alabama. Established by an act of the Alabama Legislature in 1967, it is governed by the Auburn University Board of Trustees as a member of the Auburn University syste ...
. During her time in college, she organized press conferences and protests regarding economic and racial justice.
Career
An activist since 1989,Brook, Jack, "Radical Empathy: The Philosophy Behind the #MeToo Movement," ''Brown Alumni Monthly,'' March/April 2018, p.15 Burke moved to
Selma, Alabama
Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, in the Black Belt region of south central Alabama and extending to the west. Located on the banks of the Alabama River, the city has a population of 17,971 as of the 2020 census. Abo ...
, in the late 1990s after graduating college.
After working with survivors of
sexual violence
Sexual violence is any sexual act or attempt to obtain a sexual act by violence or coercion, act to traffic a person, or act directed against a person's sexuality, regardless of the relationship to the victim.World Health Organization., World re ...
, Burke developed the nonprofit "Just Be" in 2003, which was an all-girls program for Black girls aged 12 to 18. In 2006, Burke founded the
MeToo movement
#MeToo is a social movement against sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and rape culture, in which people publicize their experiences of sexual abuse or sexual harassment. The phrase "Me Too" was initially used in this context on social media ...
and began using the phrase "Me Too" to raise awareness of the pervasiveness of sexual abuse and assault in society.
In 2008, she moved to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
and worked at Art Sanctuary Philadelphia and other
non-profits
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
. She was a
consultant
A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization.
Consulting servi ...
James Bevel
James Luther Bevel (October 19, 1936 – December 19, 2008) was a minister and leader of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement in the United States. As a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and then as its Director of Direct ...
,
Hosea Williams
Hosea Lorenzo Williams (January 5, 1926 – November 16, 2000) was an American civil rights leader, activist, ordained minister, businessman, philanthropist, scientist, and politician. He is best known as a trusted member of fellow famed civil r ...
,
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
and
John Lewis
John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...
.
The phrase "Me Too" developed into a broader movement following the 2017 use of #MeToo as a hashtag after the
Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations
In October 2017, ''The New York Times'' and ''The New Yorker'' reported that dozens of women had accused film producer Harvey Weinstein of rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse over a period of at least 30 years. Over 80 women in the film ind ...
. By mid-October 2017, Burke was notified by her friends that the MeToo hashtag was being used online. Burke decided to be in service and shape the movement to make it about "empowermental empathy". ''Time'' named Burke, among a group of other prominent female activists dubbed "the silence breakers", as the ''Time'' Person of the Year for 2017.
In 2018, she attended the
75th Golden Globe Awards
The 75th Golden Globe Awards honored film and American television of 2017, and was broadcast live on January 7, 2018, from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California beginning at 5:00 p.m. PST / 8:00 p.m. EST by NBC. This Golden ...
as a guest of American actor Michelle Williams. Burke received the 2018 Prize for Courage from
The Ridenhour Prizes The Ridenhour Prizes are awards in four categories given annually in recognition of those "who persevere in acts of truth-telling that protect the public interest, promote social justice or illuminate a more just vision of society".
History
The aw ...
, which is awarded to individuals who demonstrate courageous defense of the public interest and passionate commitment to
social justice
Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals ...
.
Burke is currently Senior Director at
Girls for Gender Equity
Girls for Gender Equity (GGE) is a Brooklyn, New York-based, inter-generational non-profit organization, initiated by a black feminist lens, dedicated to strengthening local communities by creating opportunities for young women and girls to live ...
. Burke organizes workshops to help improve policies at schools, workplaces, and places of worship, and focuses on helping victims not blame themselves for sexual violence. Burke attends public speaking events across the country. More recently, Burke and Mervyn Marcano, of Field/House Productions, inked a CBS Studios overall deal. Burke had two books published in 2021: ''You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience'' (co-authored with
Brené Brown
Casandra Brené Brown (born November 18, 1965) is an American professor, lecturer, author, and podcast host. Brown is known in particular for her research on shame, vulnerability, and leadership, and for her widely viewed TEDx talk in 2010. Since ...
for
Random House
Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
, April 2021) and ''Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement'' (
Flatiron Books
Macmillan Publishers (occasionally known as the Macmillan Group; formally Macmillan Publishers Ltd and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC) is a British publishing company traditionally considered to be one of the 'Big Five' English language publi ...
, September 2021).
Activism
Girls for Gender Equity
Burke is the Senior Director of
Girls for Gender Equity
Girls for Gender Equity (GGE) is a Brooklyn, New York-based, inter-generational non-profit organization, initiated by a black feminist lens, dedicated to strengthening local communities by creating opportunities for young women and girls to live ...
in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, which strives to help young women of color increase their overall development through various programs and classes.
Just Be Inc.
In 1997, Burke met a girl named Heaven in Alabama who told her about being sexually abused by her mother's boyfriend. She says she didn't know what to say, and never saw the girl again. She says she wished she had said "me too." Burke has said she came to believe girls needed "different attention" than their male peers. This and other incidents led Burke to found Just Be Inc., an organization that promotes the wellness of young female minorities aged 12–18. In 2006, she made a Myspace page. Just Be Inc. received its first
grant
Grant or Grants may refer to:
Places
*Grant County (disambiguation)
Australia
* Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia
United Kingdom
* Castle Grant
United States
* Grant, Alabama
* Grant, Inyo County, ...
in 2007.
MeToo movement
2018 Disobedience Awards at the MIT_Media_Lab._Sherry_Marts,_BethAnn_McLaughlin.html" ;"title="Sherry_Marts.html" ;"title="MIT Media Lab. Sherry Marts">MIT Media Lab. Sherry Marts, BethAnn McLaughlin">Sherry_Marts.html" ;"title="MIT Media Lab. Sherry Marts">MIT Media Lab. Sherry Marts, BethAnn McLaughlin and Tarana Burke
In 2006, Burke founded the
MeToo movement
#MeToo is a social movement against sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and rape culture, in which people publicize their experiences of sexual abuse or sexual harassment. The phrase "Me Too" was initially used in this context on social media ...
and began using the phrase "Me Too" to raise awareness of the pervasiveness of sexual abuse and assault in society.
The phrase "Me Too" developed into a broader movement following the 2017 use of #MeToo as a
hashtag
A hashtag is a metadata tag that is prefaced by the hash (also known as pound or octothorpe) sign, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services such as Twitter or Instagram as a form of user-generated ...
] following the
Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations
In October 2017, ''The New York Times'' and ''The New Yorker'' reported that dozens of women had accused film producer Harvey Weinstein of rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse over a period of at least 30 years. Over 80 women in the film ind ...
. In October 2017, actress
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in '' Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in '' My Name Is Earl'', Sa ...
encouraged women to say "Me Too" if they've experienced sexual harassment or assault, and the hashtag became popular. Milano quickly acknowledged Burke's earlier use of the phrase on
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
, writing "I was just made aware of an earlier #MeToo movement, and the origin story is equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring". Burke has been supportive of the #MeToo hashtag.
''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'' named Burke, among a group of other prominent activist women dubbed "the silence breakers", as the ''Time'' Person of the Year for 2017. Her speaking engagements have included
Brown University
Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
in February 2018 and at
Calvary Episcopal Church (Pittsburgh)
Calvary Episcopal Church is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The parish was founded in 1855.
History
In 1854, Mrs. Mathilda Dallas Wilkins, a prominent East Liberty resident and the wife of Judge William Wilkins, req ...
about the roots of the movement.
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...
also published a case study on Burke in 2020.
In 2021, Burke published a memoir describing the relationship of her activism to experience with leaders of the civil rights movement titled: ''Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement''.
Honors and awards
* 2017: ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'', ''100 Most Influential People of 2018''
* 2018:
The Ridenhour Prizes The Ridenhour Prizes are awards in four categories given annually in recognition of those "who persevere in acts of truth-telling that protect the public interest, promote social justice or illuminate a more just vision of society".
History
The aw ...
, The Ridenhour Prize for Courage}
* 2018:
SheKnows Media
SHE Media (formerly known as SheKnows Media) is an American digital media company. It operates the website properties BlogHer, SheKnows.com, STYLECASTER, and HelloFlo. It has been a brand of Penske Media Corporation since 2018.
History
SHE Medi ...
, the VOTY (Voices of the Year) Catalyst Award
* 2019: Trailblazer Award winner
* 2022:
BBC 100 Women
''100 Women'' is a BBC multi-format series established in 2013. The annual series examines the role of women in the 21st century and has included events in London and Mexico. Announcement of the list is the start of an international "BBC's women ...
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