If you’re more than ready for 2017 to be over, #same. But get excited, because 2018 is about to kick off in the most woke, #girlpower way ever: Activist Tarana Burke has been chosen to push the button that releases the iconic New Year’s Eve ball in Times Square.
Burke created the #MeToo movement years ago, and thanks to Alyssa Milano sending it into the Twitter ether in the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, the two words have transformed into a widely known phrase. Considering the movement has helped open the door for so many women to come forward with their own stories of sexual abuse and harassment, Burke is the perfect person to press the Waterford crystal button that starts the countdown into what everyone hopes will be a much better, less abusive year.
“I think it’s fitting to honor the Me Too movement as we close a historic year and set our intentions for 2018. With the New Year comes new momentum to fuel this work, and we won’t stop anytime soon.” —Tarana Burke
“I think it’s fitting to honor the Me Too movement as we close a historic year and set our intentions for 2018,” Burke said in a statement on Twitter. “With the New Year comes new momentum to fuel this work, and we won’t stop anytime soon.”
And the Times Square Alliance agrees. “New Year’s is a time when we look at the most significant cultural and political moments of the last year, when we look for inspiration by honoring and giving a global platform to those who have made a difference,” Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, said to amNewYork. “Tarana Burke’s courage and foresight have changed the world this year, and, we hope, forever.”
“Tarana Burke’s courage and foresight have changed the world this year, and, we hope, forever.” —Tim Tompkins, Times Square Alliance President
Sure, your gold sequin NYE dress is fire—but you might want to rock your favorite Nasty Woman getup once the clock strikes 12.
These feminist needlepoint works inspire empowerment *and* mindfulness. Or check out the six times Emma Watson proved she’s a feminist role model.
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