In Honor of All Survivors: Tarana Burke
2/17/202659 min
At this moment, as the Epstein horrors are being revealed and many survivors are carrying fresh grief and reopened wounds, we wanted to return to one of the most grounding conversations we’ve ever shared. This is Part 1 of our honest and deeply hopeful conversation with activist, advocate, and founder of the me too movement, Tarana Burke. For nearly three decades, Tarana has worked at the intersection of racial justice, gender equity, and anti-violence—interrupting systems that disproportionately harm marginalized people, particularly Black women and girls. We talk about the impossible double bind survivors live inside of—how community can both protect and silence—why so many are taught to perform “goodness” to survive, and how joy, truth-telling, and collective care become radical acts. Tarana’s work has not only exposed hard truths about power and harm, but has also expanded access to resources, support, and pathways forward—inviting each of us to find our place in the movement. For Part 2 of our conversation with Tarana Burke, go here. And for Amanda’s two-part series on the Epstein Files, go here: THE EPSTEIN FILES, EXPLAINED: Everything You Need to Know EPSTEIN SURVIVORS’ ATTORNEY WHO EXPOSED GOVERNMENT CONSPIRACY: Brad Edwards CW: We reference sexual abuse and trauma. About Tarana: Tarana J. Burke has been working at the intersection of racial justice, arts and culture, anti-violence and gender equity for nearly three decades. Fueled by a commitment to interrupt systemic issues disproportionately impacting marginalized people, like sexual violence, particularly for black women and girls, Tarana has created and led campaigns that have brought awareness to the harmful legacies surrounding communities of color. Specifically, her work to end sexual violence has not only exposed the ugly truths of sexism and spoke truth to power, it has also increased access to resources and support for survivors and paved a way forward for everyone to find their place in the movement. Tarana’s Book: Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement Follow We Can Do Hard Things on: Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/wecandohardthings TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@wecandohardthingsshow
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First 90 secondsGlennon Doyle· Host0:00
Hello, and welcome back to We Can Do Hard Things. This is Amanda. As Jeffrey Epstein's horrors, the justice system's confirmed collusion to protect him, and the government's cover-up of all of it are finally coming into the light, we are thinking of all survivors. With each revelation of abuse of the most vulnerable and protection of the most powerful, we are in solidarity with the immense grief, rage, and trauma survivors are carrying, and their deep wounds that are being reopened. So we wanted to return to this deeply honest, hopeful conversation with activist, advocate, and founder of the Me Too movement, Tarana Burke. This is part one of that conversation, and the link to part two is in this episode's show notes. There are also links in the show notes to my two-part series on the Epstein Files, which I published last week, "The Epstein Files Explained: Everything You Need to Know," as well as my conversation with Brad Edwards, the Epstein survivors' attorney who exposed the government conspiracy. Both of these conversations, and this today, are in honor of all survivors, their fight for justice, and for peace. [gentle music] Okay, everybody, welcome back to We Can Do Hard Things. I need to tell you first off that your small, little, loving team of Abby, Amanda, and I have been losing our