In a compelling conversation, Tarana Burke, the activist behind the 'me too.' movement, shares her journey in fighting sexual violence and advocating for racial justice. She reveals how societal pressures forced her to embody the 'good girl' role, while also discussing the dual struggles of protecting her community and silencing her own pain. Tarana reflects on the transformative impact of Maya Angelou's work, her personal experiences with trauma, and how dance became a vital outlet for her healing and self-exploration.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
The Burden of Secrecy
Tarana Burke describes feeling like she was constantly living with a secret after being abused as a child.
She was terrified of being found out, which led to anxiety and performing the role of a "good girl."
insights INSIGHT
The Double Standard of Rules
Unspoken and spoken rules, especially for girls, can lead them to internalize blame for abuse.
Adults often fail to clarify that breaking certain rules, like those related to personal safety, is never the child's fault.
question_answer ANECDOTE
The Protective Silence
Tarana Burke recalls a moment where she considered sharing her experience but chose silence to protect her father.
She highlights the double bind faced by many Black and brown girls: their community's protection silences them.
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Please join us in the first part of our joyful, energizing, and hopeful conversation with activist, advocate, and our personal hero,Tarana Burke. We talk about:
1. How the spoken and unspoken rules for girls led Tarana to constantly perform the role of “good girl” so that “her secret” would never be revealed.
2. The impossible double bind so many survivors live through: that the protection of our community is what saves us, but the need to protect our community is what silences us.
3. Why Maya Angelou’s work changed everything for Tarana—and how, in her early twenties, she began documenting everything joyful in her life.
4. How dancing with Rob was the one place Tarana could safely explore her sexuality with no demands on her body—and how meaningful that was for her.
CW: We reference sexual abuse and trauma.
About Tarana:
For more than 25 years, activist and advocate Tarana J. Burke has worked at the intersection of sexual violence and racial justice. Fueled by commitments to interrupt sexual violence and other systemic inequalities disproportionately impacting marginalized people, particularly Black women and girls, Tarana has created and led various campaigns focused on increasing access to resources and support for impacted communities, including the ‘me too.’ movement, which to date has galvanized millions of survivors and allies around the world.
We Can Do Hard Things 
