In 2017, Alyssa Milano, an American actress, shared a tweet encouraging sexual assault survivors to use “me too” to bring awareness to sexual assault on social media in response to accusations of sexual harassment and abuse against Harvey Weinstein, an American film producer. 

Years before this, in 2006, Tarana Burke was the first to use this phrase in relation to sexual assault. Burke, the founder of the “me too” movement, will be speaking on Monday, March 26 at 8 p.m. at Stephens Auditorium. Admission is free.

Tarana Burke was one of the many female activists who were featured in TIME Magazine as their 2017 Person of the Year for breaking the silence surrounding sexual assault.

The “me too” movement is aimed at raising awareness about secual assualt and holding sexual abusers and harassers accountable, while giving a voice to survivors.

“In 1997, a young girl confided in Burke about being sexually abused. Burke has said that in the moment she didn’t know what to say, but later wished she had said, ‘Me too, ’” according to the Iowa State news release.

In 2006 Burke founded the organization Just Be Inc. which helps young women of color who have survived sexual trauma and is currently the senior director of programs at the Brooklyn-based Girls for Gender Equality.

This lecture is being sponsored by the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center, Program for Women in Science and Engineering, Student Health and Wellness, the University Library, the women’s and gender studies program, the YWCA Ames- ISU, the national affairs series and the Committee on Lectures.