You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience

Tarana Burke (1973-present) is a Bronx-born, American activist and founder of the #MeToo Movement. Burke grew up in a low-income family in a housing project, and experienced sexual violence and abuse in childhood. Through the encouragement of her mother, young Burke joined the 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement, a youth activist organization. Within this community of fellow activists, Burke tackled issues in her community such as police brutality and housing inequality and developed her commitment to social justice.

Burke attended Alabama State University and Auburn University at Montgomery. As a college student, she organized protests and spoke with the press about issues of equality, based in her work with the 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement. Burke moved to Selma, Alabama, to work with survivors of sexual violence and started Just Be, a nonprofit organization that provided support for Black female teenagers. When a young girl named Heaven told Burke about her experiences with sexual abuse, Burke later regretted that she had not shared her own experiences with Heaven. Burke felt connected to the stories of sexual violence and abuse of the young Black women she worked with. Just Be focused on empowering Black girls and emphasizing wellness. The #MeToo Movement was born out of the stories and survival of the girls Burke worked with, and it gained wider traction when actress Alyssa Milano encouraged using #metoo as a Twitter hashtag for sharing stories of harassment or assault.