Tarana Burke Quotes

Powerful Tarana Burke for Daily Growth

About Tarana Burke

Tarana Burke is an American social activist, community organizer, and media artist, best known as the founder of the 'Me Too' movement. Born on June 15, 1973, in Birmingham, Alabama, Burke spent her early years surrounded by a close-knit family and a community deeply rooted in civil rights activism. Inspired by her experiences and observations, Burke began her activist journey in the late 90s, focusing on empowering African American women and girls in the rural communities of Alabama. In 2006, she launched the 'Me Too' movement as a grassroots effort to promote healing, empathy, and aid for survivors of sexual violence, particularly women of color. Burke's work gained significant traction in 2017 when actress Alyssa Milano popularized the phrase "Me Too" on social media, sparking a global conversation around sexual harassment and assault. Burke, however, emphasizes that her movement was not intended to be a viral hashtag but a long-term campaign for systemic change. In 2018, Burke published her memoir, "Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement," which details her personal journey and the evolution of the 'Me Too' movement. The book was a New York Times bestseller. Tarana Burke continues her work as the Senior Director of Justice Corps at Girls for Gender Equity in Brooklyn, New York, where she focuses on youth leadership development and community organizing. Her impact extends far beyond the 'Me Too' movement, inspiring countless individuals to speak up about their experiences and work towards creating safer, more equitable spaces for all.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Empowerment begins with engagement."

Tarana Burke's quote "Empowerment begins with engagement" emphasizes that true empowerment requires active participation or involvement in one's own life, community, or situation. It suggests that knowledge, understanding, and change can only be achieved through direct interaction, discussion, and collaboration rather than mere passive observation or acceptance of circumstances. In other words, it encourages people to take part in shaping their lives and the world around them for meaningful and lasting change.


"Silence keeps rape culture strong but love is the most powerful tool for change."

Tarana Burke's quote emphasizes that the maintenance of a culture where sexual violence goes unchallenged (rape culture) relies heavily on silence. The implication is that keeping quiet about such issues perpetuates harmful beliefs and behaviors. However, she suggests that love, in its broadest sense as empathy, understanding, and solidarity, has the potential to drive significant change against these oppressive systems. In other words, by speaking up, educating ourselves, supporting survivors, and advocating for justice, we can dismantle rape culture and promote a more loving, equitable society.


"We are here to support each other and let people know that they are not alone in their pain."

This quote emphasizes the importance of empathy, solidarity, and community in overcoming personal struggles or pain. By supporting one another, we create an environment where individuals feel less isolated in their experiences. The quote implies that by acknowledging each other's pain and offering support, we can help alleviate some of its burden and foster resilience in those who are suffering. In essence, it encourages us to lean on each other during difficult times, fostering a more compassionate and connected society.


"If you're lucky enough to have a platform, use it for good. If you see someone without a voice, help them find theirs."

This quote emphasizes the importance of using one's influence or platform to benefit others and amplify voices that might otherwise go unheard. Tarana Burke encourages individuals with some level of power or visibility to not only use their resources for personal gain but also to champion the causes, concerns, and perspectives of those who are marginalized or underrepresented in society. By helping others find their voice, we create a more equitable and inclusive world where everyone's story is told and heard.


"The work of social justice is the work of all of us."

Tarana Burke's quote emphasizes that the pursuit of social justice should not be the responsibility of a select few, but rather it is an obligation that every individual shares in society. It underscores the idea that eradicating social inequality, discrimination, and injustice is a collective effort, requiring the involvement and commitment of all members of the community to achieve meaningful change. In other words, everyone has a role to play in fostering equality and ensuring a more just world for all.


If we don't center the voices of marginalized people, we're doing the wrong work.

- Tarana Burke

Work, Doing, Center, Marginalized

I'm driven by the gaps, the things that are missing, the areas where marginalized people exist - and where the least resources are available for them.

- Tarana Burke

Resources, Available, Least, Marginalized

I founded the Me Too Movement because there was a void in the community that I was in. There were gaps in services. There was dearth in resources, and I saw young people - I saw black and brown girls - who are hurting and who needed something that just wasn't there.

- Tarana Burke

Young, Young People, Needed, Dearth

'Me Too' is about letting - using the power of empathy to stomp out shame.

- Tarana Burke

Empathy, Shame, Using, Stomp

We use a term called 'empowerment through empathy.' And 'Me Too' is so powerful, because somebody had said it to me - right? - and it changed the trajectory of my healing process once I heard that.

- Tarana Burke

Empathy, Process, Through, Trajectory

When the #MeToo movement started and went viral, it was everyday people all around the world. The fact that the stories continue to be about famous white women has everything to do with who the media places attention on.

- Tarana Burke

Media, Fact, About, Viral

'Me Too' became the way to succinctly and powerfully connect with other people and give people permission to start their journey to heal.

- Tarana Burke

Give, Other, Became, Heal

For every Harvey Weinstein, there's three or four thousand other pastors, coaches, teachers, uncles, cousins, and stepfathers who are committing the same crimes. We have to keep that in focus and we have to keep talking about it.

- Tarana Burke

Other, Weinstein, Committing, Pastors

Part of the job is to find out what they need. #MeToo is about helping people find those resources.

- Tarana Burke

Need, Find, Helping, Helping People

Patriarchy doesn't just make men out to be ogres. Women buy into the patriarchy as well, and women make those comments as well, like, 'Boys will be boys.' Women have to undo that stuff, too.

- Tarana Burke

Will, Like, Comments, Undo

I don't think that every single case of sexual harassment has to result in someone being fired; the consequences should vary. But we need a shift in culture so that every single instance of sexual harassment is investigated and dealt with. That's just basic common sense.

- Tarana Burke

Vary, Shift, Instance, Common Sense

Foundations have to think outside the box and maybe expand past the usual suspects that get all of the funding and start thinking about how to reach into communities and support community healing on a more local level.

- Tarana Burke

Reach, Maybe, About, Local Level

If I found a healing tree in my backyard, and it grew some sort of fruit that was a healing balm for people to repair what was damaged, I'm not going to just harvest all of those fruits and say, 'You cant have this.' If I have a cure for people, I'm going to share it.

- Tarana Burke

Fruit, Repair, Some, Cant

For every R. Kelly or Bill Cosby or Harvey Weinstein, there's, you know, the owner of the grocery store, the coach, the teacher, the neighbor, who are doing the same things. But we don't pay attention until it's a big name. And we don't pay attention 'til it's a big celebrity.

- Tarana Burke

Doing, Celebrity, Big, Cosby

Violence is violence. Trauma is trauma. And we are taught to downplay it, even think about it as child's play.

- Tarana Burke

Play, Think, Trauma, Downplay

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.

- Tarana Burke

Color, I Think, Use, Supporting

I didn't start Me Too as a hashtag, and had I had the opportunity to, I probably wouldn't have done it that way. I think that what has happened subsequently has been beautiful to watch, but what concerns me is what all of these survivors are going to do now.

- Tarana Burke

Been, I Think, Had, Subsequently

The young girls of color that first encountered the 'me too' movement in community centers and classrooms and church basements were there not only because they needed a safe space, but because they needed their own space.

- Tarana Burke

Color, Young, Young Girls, Classrooms

I founded the 'me too' movement in 2006 because I wanted to find a way to connect with the black and brown girls in the program I ran.

- Tarana Burke

Black, Founded, Program, Ran

I started doing organizing work as a teenager. I was part of an organization called the 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement at 14.

- Tarana Burke

Work, Doing, Part, 21st Century

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 Burke

Think, I Think, Centered, Frame

The work is more than just about the amplification of survivors and quantifying their numbers. The work is really about survivors talking to each other and saying, 'I see you. I support you. I get it.'

- Tarana Burke

Work, More, Other, Amplification

Social media is so immediate and in your face that I know many people have been helped and many people who have been traumatised by their entire timeline filled with 'me too.'

- Tarana Burke

Been, Social, Filled, Social Media

Social media is not a safe space.

- Tarana Burke

Media, Safe, Social, Social Media

What does justice look like for a survivor? It'll mean different things to different communities.

- Tarana Burke

Mean, Like, Does, Different Things

I've done work in every area of social justice you can think of, but I've been highly focused on young people and then specifically black and brown girls.

- Tarana Burke

Think, Been, Area, Social Justice

The first thing I organized around was the Central Park Five case for the young men who were accused. We talked about the unfair misrepresentation of these young teenagers in the media. I've been fighting back against Donald Trump for a long time.

- Tarana Burke

Been, Trump, Donald, None

Donald Trump has proven to be the kind of person who you can't reason with and who you can't have a logical conversation with - and who I can't imagine having a heart-to-heart conversation thinking that I would change something specifically about this person.

- Tarana Burke

Reason, Trump, Donald, None

These movements aren't about anger. We're not angrily saying 'Black Lives Matter.' We're declaring it. It's a declaration. We want to be seen as robust, full human beings that have anger and have joy. We want to be able to just freely have that joy. Like everybody else does.

- Tarana Burke

Everybody, About, Movements, Freely

The world doesn't realise I have a regular job!

- Tarana Burke

Job, World, Realise, Regular

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.