From Hashtag to Movement

The phrase became a viral hashtag in 2017, more than a decade after Burke began the work. The explosion of testimony revealed the scale of sexual harassment and assault, but it also risked reducing a long organizing history to a social-media moment.

Burke has consistently redirected attention toward changing conditions: survivor services, prevention, workplace and community accountability, and leadership by those most affected. In that sense, the hashtag is an entry point rather than a complete theory of change.