Tarana Burke
American activist who started the MeToo movement.
Tarana Burke (born September 12, 1973) is an American activist from New York City who started the MeToo movement. In 2006, Burke began Me Too as a youth program for junior and high school students with the goal of addressing the rampant sexual violence in the community. Over a decade later, in 2017, #MeToo became a viral hashtag when Alyssa Milano encouraged women to tweet the words if they had experienced abuse and harassment in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases. Time named Burke, among a group of other prominent activists dubbed "the silence breakers", as the Time Person of the Year for 2017. She founded me too. International in 2018 and serves as Chief Vision Officer.
- born
- September 12, 1973
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Founding the MeToo movement
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Tarana Burke, a native of The Bronx, New York, attended Catholic primary school and Herbert H. Lehman High School. Her passion for community organizing began in the late 1980s when, as a young girl, she joined a youth development organization called 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement. She attended Alabama State University, a historically Black institution, and later Auburn University at Montgomery. While in college, she organized press conferences and protests focused on racial justice. After graduating, Burke moved to Selma, Alabama, in the late 1990s. In 1997, she met a girl named Heaven in Alabama who told her about being sexually abused by her mother's boyfriend. Burke says she didn't know what to say, and never saw the girl again; she wished she had said "me too." This and other incidents led Burke to found Just Be Inc. in 2003, an all-girls program for Black girls aged 12 to 18. In 2006, she founded the MeToo movement and began using the phrase "Me Too" to raise awareness of the pervasiveness of sexual abuse and assault in society. She made a Myspace page that year, and Just Be Inc. received its first grant in 2007. In 2008, she moved to Philadelphia and worked at Art Sanctuary Philadelphia and other non-profits. She was a consultant for the 2014 Hollywood movie *Selma*, based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches led by James Bevel, Hosea Williams, Martin Luther King Jr., and John Lewis.
Reader's Guide
Tarana Burke's significance lies in founding the MeToo movement in 2006 as a youth program addressing sexual violence. 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, actress Alyssa Milano encouraged women to say "Me Too" if they'd experienced sexual harassment or assault, and the hashtag became popular. Milano quickly acknowledged Burke's earlier use of the phrase on Twitter. Time named Burke, among a group of other prominent activists and sexual abuse survivors dubbed "the silence breakers," as the Time Person of the Year for 2017. Burke founded me too. International in 2018 as a container for the movement and serves as Chief Vision Officer. She published two instant *New York Times* Best Sellers: *You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience* (co-authored with Brené Brown, April 2021) and *Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement* (September 2021). In 2020, Harvard University published a case study on Burke. Her honors include the 2018 Ridenhour Prize for Courage, the 2018 SheKnows Media VOTY Catalyst Award, a 2019 Trailblazer Award, and being named to the BBC 100 Women in 2022.
Did You Know?
- Tarana Burke first used the phrase "Me Too" in 2006 as part of a youth program for junior and high school students.
- In 1997, Burke met a girl named Heaven in Alabama who told her about being sexually abused; Burke later said she wished she had said "me too."
- Time named Burke among "the silence breakers" as Time Person of the Year for 2017.
- Burke was a consultant for the 2014 Hollywood movie *Selma*, based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches.
- Harvard University published a case study on Burke in 2020.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Tarana Burke?
Tarana Burke is an American activist born on September 12, 1973, in New York City. She is best known as the founder of the MeToo movement, which she launched to combat sexual violence.
What is Tarana Burke's role in the MeToo movement?
Burke originated the concept in 2006 by creating a youth-focused program that addressed sexual violence and empowered survivors to speak out. Her grassroots work laid the groundwork for what later became a worldwide movement.
When did the MeToo movement begin?
Burke started the initiative in 2006, framing it as a youth program centered on raising awareness about sexual violence and supporting those affected.
How did Tarana Burke gain global recognition?
In 2017, the phrase she had coined years earlier erupted into a viral social-media hashtag, catapulting her activism into the international spotlight and prompting widespread public conversation.
What major award or honor did Tarana Burke receive?
Following the 2017 viral surge of the hashtag, Time magazine named her Person of the Year, recognizing her as the driving force behind the global MeToo campaign.
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