The “MeToo” movement gained national prominence over the last two years as the dialogue over sexual harassment took center stage. But it’s a phrase first introduced more than a decade ago by Tarana Burke, a social activist who has worked on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse and assault for more than 25 years.

Burke will be speaking at UC Riverside on May 10 at the University Lecture Hall 1000 as part of a conversation on empowerment and healing for sexual assault survivors.

“We feel really excited and grateful for her presence on campus,” said Karla Aguilar, director and advocate with UCR CARE (Campus Advocacy, Resources & Education), one of the sponsors of the event. “It’s definitely an important topic and it’s a topic that impacts our entire community and it’s part of the national dialogue on sexual violence and sexual harassment.”

Burke, a survivor of sexual violence herself, is the founder of the “MeToo” movement. She was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2018 and was featured in the magazine’s 2017 selection of the “Silence Breakers” as person of the year. She was a speaker on April 23 at the inaugural Time 100 summit featuring its most influential people.

Burke founded a nonprofit working primarily with young black women and since then has played an important role in advocating on behalf of communities that are often marginalized, Aguilar said.

“When folks started talking about intersectionality and where this movement came from -- really centering on voices of people of color -- Tarana’s voice really started to come out,” she said.

Those issues have enormous relevance to a diverse campus like UCR, Aguilar said.

Aguilar, who will moderate the event, said she plans to talk to Burke about how she began building the movement, her impact and what role campuses like UCR can play in empowering, healing, and prevention.

“I think there’s a big conversation of how to keep a sustainable movement going and how to integrate it in different parts of our work,” she said.

Admission to the talk, which starts at 7:30 p.m., is free. Go the UCR's events calendar for more information.

Other co-sponsors of the event include the Women’s Resource Center, Middle Eastern Student Center, African Student Programs, Native American Student Programs, Center for Ideas and Society, ASPB, Highlander Empowerment Referendum, and the Office of the Chancellor.