How Tarana Burke Became an Activist for Black Rights

Activists for black rights at a protest in a city, holding a sign that says "BLACK RIGHTS"

How did Tarana Burke become an activist for Black rights? How did Burke protest against Donald Trump in the Central Park Five case? Burke explains that she gradually divested from the Catholic church she’d grown up in and chose to attend a public high school. This transition took place because her grandfather, a fiercely pro-Black radical follower of activists like Malcolm X, encouraged her to read books about Black history and to question the church’s complicity in the slave trade. Keep reading to learn more about Burke’s activism beginnings in high school.

Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse in Adulthood (Tarana Burke)

A silhouette of a boy dealing with childhood trauma in a room

What are the effects of childhood sexual abuse in adulthood? How did Tarana Burke handle being told of someone else’s abuse when she was younger? After getting involved in leadership movements, Burke learned to use her anger in a healthier way. However, her experiences of childhood sexual abuse still made it difficult to talk about traumatic experiences with other people. Discover how childhood sexual abuse can trigger people, even when they’re adults.

When Was the “Me Too” Movement Founded? (Tarana Burke)

A woman holding a "me too" sign in the middle of the street, representing when the me too movement was founded

When was the “me too” movement founded? How did Tarana Burke’s daughter influence her to say “me too”? After Burke’s experience with a sexual abuse victim prompted her to take the first step toward healing, she continued to pursue both personal and professional growth. In her book Unbound, she discusses how a series of betrayals and dead ends in her community led Burke to help others heal by founding the “me too” movement. Here’s how motherhood inspired the “me too” movement.

How Tarana Burke Prevented Child Abuse From Repeating

A mother who knows how to prevent child abuse, hugging her smiling daughter

How did Tarana Burke prevent child abuse after giving birth to her child, Kaia? How did Burke end the abusive relationship with Kaia’s father? Although Burke was an activist before giving birth to Kaia, it was ultimately motherhood that prompted her to step up and form her own movement. Burke explains how her own abusive relationship and an interaction with Reverend James Luther Bevel compelled her to protect her child. Continue reading to learn how Burke protected Kaia from abuse.

Tarana Burke & the R. Kelly Docuseries Controversy She Faced

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How did Tarana Burke contribute to Surviving R. Kelly? Why did she receive backlash for the docuseries? Burke has lent her expertise on healing from sexual violence to projects outside her “me too” movement. For example, she contributed to the Surviving R. Kelly docuseries, which detailed R&B artist R. Kelly’s serial abuse of Black girls and women. Discover the controversy behind Tarana Burke’s R. Kelly docuseries backlash below.

When Did the “Me Too” Movement Become Popular?

A cardboard sign that says "#metoo" in pink letters, showing when the me too movement became popular

When did the “me too” movement become popular? How did founder Tarana Burke feel about the growth of the “me too” movement? Burke explains that her grassroots “me too” movement eventually transformed into something much larger. This transformation evoked both hopes and fears for the future of the movement. Let’s explore that transformation and its effects now.

How Tarana Burke Helped People Talk About Sexual Assault

A silhouette of a mother and her daughter talking about sexual assault on the couch

How did Tarana Burke’s workshops help people talk about sexual assault? How did the “me too” movement help Burke in her personal life? The betrayals and dead ends Burke met in Selma irreparably fractured her ties to that community, so she decided to relocate to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, she got a job as a youth advocate and turned “me too” into a full-fledged program. Here’s how Burke transformed “me too” into an open space for victims of childhood sexual abuse.

Childhood Sexual Abuse and Trauma: Tarana Burke’s Story

A silhouette of a child standing in front of an open door of a bedroom

What’s the connection between childhood sexual abuse and trauma in adulthood? What was Tarana Burke’s experience of childhood sexual abuse? Burke says the first time she was sexually assaulted, she was seven years old—too young to understand what was happening to her. Another horrific occurrence happened when she was nine, but didn’t speak up for two reasons. Continuer reading to learn about the trauma Burke endured from these instances of sexual abuse.

The 4 Best Tarana Burke Quotes From Her Memoir, Unbound

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What are the best Tarana Burke quotes from her book, Unbound? What does she say about self-love, abuse, and unkindness? In Unbound, Tarana Burke discusses her experience with childhood sexual abuse and how community organizing helped her cope with her trauma. She also talks about the factors that led her to find the “me too” movement. Below, we’ll look at quotes from Unbound that summarize her story.

Why Did Tarana Burke Start “Me Too?” Betrayals & Dead Ends

Activist Tarana Burke talking about why she started me too

Why did Tarana Burke start “me too?” What was the breaking point that led Burke to say those words? Burke says that the betrayals she and her child experienced at Sanders’s hands eroded her trust in and commitment to her community. She’d also hit dead ends when trying to find resources to help her and others who had suffered from childhood sexual abuse and wanted to change that. Let’s check out the moments that led to Burke saying “me too.”