From victim to survivor to thriver
Tarana Burke, # MeToo founder, working on a book
NEW YORK — Tarana Burke, founder of the # MeToo movement, is working on a book.
The Simon & Schuster imprint 37 Ink said that Burke’s Where the Light Enters is scheduled to come out early next year. Burke, who will co- write the book with asha bandele, will tell her own “ordinary, extraordinary journey from victim to survivor to thriver” and explain why # MeToo was so necessary.
“The book will also help readers understand the often overlooked historical connections of the role sexual violence plays in communities of colour, specifically black communities, even today, while exploring ways the same communities have been both complicit and resilient,” Burke said in a statement. “More than anything, this memoir will provide survivors across the spectrum of sexual abuse a road map for healing that helps them understand that the ‘ me too’ movement is more about triumph than trauma and that our wounds, though they may never fully heal, can also be the key to our survival.”
Burke started # MeToo a decade ago to raise awareness about sexual violence. After women last fall began speaking out against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and others, actress activist Alyssa Milano followed on a suggestion from a friend of a friend on Facebook and tweeted: “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘ me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” The hashtag was tweeted nearly a million times in 48 hours. Milano has said she wasn’t aware of Burke’s contributions when she made her initial tweet and has since publicly credited her.
Burke and Milano appeared on the Today show last month after Time magazine named The Silence Breakers — those who have shared their stories about sexual assault and harassment — Person of the Year. At the Golden Globes ceremony in early January, Burke attended as the guest of Michelle Williams.