'They owe you accountability'
#MeToo movement founder delivers message of empowerment at MU
Waverly Colville Columbia Daily Tribune
On the morning of Oct. 15, Tarana Burke had no idea why the name of her 10-year-old movement was trending on social media. She knew something was wrong because she had no part in it.
"I was in a full-on panic," Burke said. "I felt my life's work was in jeopardy. I felt like this thing goes viral and I don't see any of us in it, I'm going to be erased. There's no way I'm going to be able to stand up in this sea of 'Me Toos' and say 'Wait a minute. I've been doing this for 10 years.' Who's going to listen to me?"
Burke began Just Be Inc. and the Me Too movement to provide education, resources and support for survivors of sexual violence, harassment and assault in 2006. But when #MeToo was thrust into the social media spotlight last October, it was by a different woman: actress Alyssa Milano.
She tweeted #MeToo on Oct. 15 amid the downfall of film producer and co-founder of the Miramax production company, Harvey Weinstein, after more than 50 sexual assault allegations. Her tweet read "if all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote '#MeToo' as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem."
The hashtag went viral. In the first 24 hours, it garnered more than 12 million posts and reactions on Facebook alone, according to The Associated Press.
"That day was really pivotal because I started off in a panic," Burke said. "These people are trying to take '#MeToo.' I was devising all kinds of plans."
But then, she read one woman's story posted on Twitter. It was a turning point for Burke.
"I had spent the whole day thinking about how I was going to save my work but my work had been happening right in front of me all day long," Burke said. "It was ego."
Burke chose service. On Tuesday, she spoke as the founder of #MeToo to an overflowing room of more than 200 students in Tate Hall at the University of Missouri as the university's Black History Month keynote speaker.
Roots of a movement
Her mission to help victims of sexual violence began in childhood, Burke said. She describes her parents as black nationalists who always made sure she had a diverse knowledge of black history. She grew up reading Toni Morrison novels and other black feminist authors.
Burke joined the 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement, an organization that trained young people to be grassroots community organizers to continue social movements from the 1960s and 1970s, at age 14.
Her first project: organizing against future president Donald Trump during the 1989 Central Park Five case.
Five men, four black and one Hispanic, were convicted of assaulting, robbing, raping and trying to kill a white woman even though DNA evidence did not match. Trump bought full-page advertisements in several New York City newspapers calling for the death penalty. The guilty man was already serving a life sentence for a different crime and DNA evidence confirmed his guilt.
Burke organized press conferences and protests.
"It was just the idea that we were acknowledged" and "seen," Burke said. "It was at that point that I decided I wanted to be an organizer. This is the way I can take all of this history that I have in my head and all this cultural upbringing and put it to actual use in the community."
She continued organizing throughout her college days at Alabama State University and Auburn University. Her issues were racial and economic justice. Gender justice wasn't on her mind yet.
But she began thinking about gender issues after spending several years as a staff member with the 21st Century Leadership Movement. When working the leadership camps, she kept hearing young girls speak about sexual violence. She never spoke about her own experiences with sexual violence, but would listen to the girls. She didn't know what to say when one of her favorite campers confided in her about sexual violence her mother's boyfriend committed against her.
Burke wanted to tell her "this happened to me too. I know how you feel" But she couldn't figure out how.
Thus, she began Just Be to build a sense of self-worth among young black and brown girls. And the Me Too program was born.
"I thought what did I need at this age?" Burke said. "I needed empathy. I needed someone who heard me and saw me and believed me and put me on a road to healing. That's how #MeToo was born, out of this necessity."
Being unafraid
One of the main focuses of #MeToo was to give young women language. Many were afraid of not being believed or didn't even have the words to talk about their pain and experiences, Burke said.
That's something that stuck with Casey Murray, another University of Missouri student.
"We shouldn't be afraid to talk about these things," Murray said.
Me Too began with a MySpace page and grew to a robust after-school and community program in Selma, Ala.
Ten years later it has become an international force.
Burke said she has no use for celebrity, and she sees these speaking engagements as organizing and work.
Christina Carney, an assistant professor of black studies and women and gender studies, said that point resonated with her.
"It's not just a speaking engagement, it's service work," Carney said. "It's really important that she's not really interested in the celebratory aspect in terms of tokenism, but actually saying I'm doing this work because we need to have spaces like this."
Burke made sure to note that those not participating in the movement weren't discounted. Many are not ready to share their story yet but because of the popularity on social media, some women may feel pressured to do so.
She addressed the University of Missouri administration several times, putting the responsibility on them to change the culture on campus. Online training is not enough, she said.
"The university's response to allegations of sexual violence should mirror their enthusiasm for you to get to the school and get your tuition," Burke said as she closed her talk to a standing ovation. "They owe you accountability just like you owe them tuition money."