Continuing her crusade against sexual assault, Tarana Burke will take her advocacy on a tour of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) across the country. Taking to Instagram to announce her #MeToo movement trek, the trip will begin in April.
“I’m so excited to finally announce this!! This has been a vision of mine for many, many years,” Burke captioned the image. “Every year during April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) college campuses around the country turn their focus towards dealing with sexual violence but very little activity happens on HBCU campuses during SAAM even though we know it’s happening.”
Burke originally spoke at 70 college campuses during SAAM in 2018 but only visited two HBCUs. Partnering with Yaba Blay, the 45-year-old activist wants to “bring this right to the yard and provide a space for HBCU students to talk, vent, strategize and heal.”
“While we are working in service to survivors of sexual violence from all walks of life, it’s always been about Black people, particularly Black women and girls. This tour is important because we know that Black women make up the majority of the student population at HBCUs,” Burke said to Blavity. “The college tour is an extension of our work to center marginalized communities in the movement to end sexual violence wherever it exists.”
Each panel will include discussions, strategic sessions with campus leaders, and workshops for men, with a special conversation between Burke and Blay. The tour will be sponsored by The Root and Lifetime with free admission for the public. Howard University, the Atlanta University Center located at Clark Atlanta University, Alabama State University, North Carolina Central University, and Florida A&M University are among the locations.
