Why #MeToo is a message for everyone: ‘We’re all implicated’
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#MeToo can be regarded as a collective shout to the whole community to create a culture in which sexual assault and harassment just don’t happen, says an American social-justice activist and writer.
Darnell L. Moore, writer in residence at the Center on African American Religion, Sexual Politics and Social Justice at Columbia University, said in a telephone interview that #MeToo is a message for everyone.
“We all have a part in this,” Moore said. “It’s just too easy to point a finger at [Hollywood movie executive] Harvey Weinstein and say: ‘Hey, that’s not me.’
“MeToo is saying we all have a stake in creating conditions where this kind of action cannot happen.”
Moore spoke Wednesday at the University of Victoria on the topic of sexualized violence. The
Times Colonist asked him to comment on the growing #MeToo movement.
Last weekend, in the wake of accusations made against Weinstein, American actor Alyssa Milano posted on Twitter: “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted, write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.”
Since then, millions of women and men have shared their stories online and relived painful personal traumas. Some simply posted the words #MeToo.
Moore said it’s been a very personal déjà vu to watch the social media eruption.
#MeToo was created about 10 years ago by a friend, Tarana Burke, a black feminist working in New York City, he said. Burke wanted to create a safe space for women, girls and all others to speak about their experiences with sexual violence.
Moore said he has contacted Burke to congratulate his friend on starting something decent and powerful, a way for people to testify and bear witness.
“But the fact that #MeToo was created about 10 years ago says something about how easy it is to forget,” he said. “So it’s possible after Harvey Weinstein dies down and people have shared their stories that we can easily forget again.
“That means we have to respond and listen to these stories every day. Hopefully, it can create a groundswell of support so that folk can work in a culture that gives credence to people who testify.”
But he said that communitylevel work is hard in a culture where popular images, entertainment and song glamorize incidents of violence and rape and make normal harmful attitudes such as sexism or racism.
Moore said genuine harm occurs from songs when the lyrics speak of hatred against women or any other group. It occurs every time a grotesque, discriminatory or racist joke is told and received by listeners who don’t object.
“This cuts across a whole gamut of identities and a range of individuals who are impacted,” he said. “Sexual violence is grounded in notions of power and control and it is supported by a culture that glamorizes or makes fun of these things.
“How many of us have laughed or stayed silent?” he said.
“#MeToo is saying: ‘We all have a stake in this because we are all responsible and we are all implicated.’ ”