Tarana Burke first used the phrase “Me Too” in 2006. She developed it as part of her community work with survivors of sexual violence, especially young women and girls of color, to express empathy, solidarity, and shared experience.
Burke’s inspiration included an encounter with a 13-year-old girl who disclosed sexual abuse. Burke later said she wished she had been able to respond with “me too,” a simple phrase that could reassure the girl that she was not alone. She then used the phrase in a youth-focused program and through a Myspace page connected with her organization, Just Be Inc.
The phrase became globally famous more than a decade later. In October 2017, following revelations about sexual-abuse allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein, actress Alyssa Milano encouraged people to post “Me Too” as a hashtag. Millions of people responded, turning #MeToo into an international movement against sexual harassment, assault, and abuse.
The common mix-up is to credit the 2017 viral hashtag with originating the phrase. Milano helped amplify it online, but Burke created and used the movement’s original phrase in 2006.