I think it is selfish for me to try to frame Me Too as something that I own. It is bigger than me and bigger than Alyssa Milano. Neither one of us should be centered in this work. This is about survivors.
Tarana BurkeRead
At the start of my career - not just Me Too, which is not the totality of my career - I wish I would have known that you don't have to sacrifice everything for a cause. And that self-care and self-preservation is also a tool that is necessary to do the work.
Interpretation
What this quote means
One should prioritize self-care while pursuing a cause, as it is essential for sustained effort.
Tarana Burke's quote emphasizes the importance of balancing personal well-being with the dedication to a cause. She reflects on her early career and expresses the realization that sacrificing everything for activism is not only unnecessary but can also hinder one's ability to make a meaningful impact. Self-care and self-preservation are portrayed as vital tools that empower individuals to continue their work effectively.
Themes
Self-CareActivismCauseBalanceWell-Being
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a workshop on self-care strategies for activists.
More from Tarana Burke
All quotes →Get up. Stand up. Speak up. Do something.
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'Me Too' became the way to succinctly and powerfully connect with other people and give people permission to start their journey to heal.
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We want to turn victims into survivors - and survivors into thrivers.
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I think that women of color use social media to make our voices heard with or without the amplification of white women. I also think that, many times, when white women want our support, they use an umbrella of 'women supporting women' and forget that they didn't lend the same kind of support.
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Men need to help reshape the conversation around consent.
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