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Case Western Reserve University volume L, issue 9 friday, 10/26/2018
Observer Founder of Me Too movement draws huge crowd to Maltz
Courtesy of Wikipedia Tarana Burke popularized the phrase “Me Too” in 2006 to promote “empowerment through empathy” among women who have experienced sexual assault, particularly those in underprivileged communities. On Oct. 16, she spoke during an installment of CWRU’s ThinkForum lecture series.
Maryam Iqbal Staff Reporter Last Tuesday, Case Western Reserve University boasted the opportunity to host Tarana Burke, founder of the Me Too movement and globally esteemed activist, at the Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center as part of its ongoing ThinkForum lecture series. Her talk was followed by an audience-led question and answer session. Born in New York’s Bronx neighborhood, Burke herself is a survivor of sexual assault who started her career in social justice in Selma, Alabama working with the 21st Century Youth Leadership movement. She credits this work for inspiring her more recent contributions to civil rights.
As Burke explained during her Oct. 16 talk, “I started with the seed of Me Too at my camp with the 21st Century movement. I was taught I had power, citizen power, because whenever an issue came up and I complained, I was told to follow my words with actions [and] to do something about it, so I started my first work with racial justice.” She is currently Senior Director at the Brooklyn, New York-based Girls for Gender Equity and is most widely known for coining the phrase “Me Too” to raise awareness of the culture surrounding sexual abuse and assault. The term was first used by Burke as early as 2006 and has since spawned a worldwide civil rights movement. #MeToo is a worldwide organization founded on the basis of fighting sexual
harassment, abuse and assault. Actress Alyssa Milano introduced the hashtag on social media in 2017 in an attempt to draw attention to sexual assault and harassment, building on the decades of Burke’s fight as a civil activist for recognition of these complex issues. Burke cited her awakening in motivation to spread awareness on sexual assault at a camp in Selma after listening to a young girl, codenamed “Heaven,” recount a disturbing sexual encounter. As Burke said, “I remember Heaven as being loud, brashy and a lovable brat, but when she stood there trying to tell me her experience and hopefully trust an adult with her pain, I just stood and said nothing. I just didn’t have it in me to be able to provide her with support.” She continued, “This 13-year-old knowing her demands to hear out her story was intense. It’s scary affecting a person’s trajectory, and so I didn’t know what to say.” Her inability to help Heaven cope with emotional trauma—able only to respond “Me too”—inspired Burke to embark on her fight against sexual misconduct. She coined the term “Me Too,” founded “Just Be Inc.,” an organization which promotes the wellness of young women of color and now funds various startup activism efforts through Me Too. Burke’s lecture was extremely well received by the audience. In a newsletter sent out by the Director of the Flora Stone Mather (FSM) Center for Women, Dr. Lisa Nielson wrote, “There was so much demand for tickets, the events team opened an overflow space in [the Thwing Center] so more people could hear her speak. It was clear her message and mission are important to us all.” A highly charged and emotionally pro-
found atmosphere developed over the course of the talk, and audience members were empowered to ask how they could contribute to the Me Too movement and what it represents. Many students felt inspired and motivated by Burke’s lecture, one citing her as the inspiration for their bachelor’s degree. “I was already on the path to social work, but Burke’s talk galvanized me to be more active on campus,” the student explained. The Feminist Collective at CWRU, an extracurricular discussion group regarding women’s issues, also had several students speak during the Q&A period. Common themes included the recent Supreme Court hearings and a sense of empowerment to speak out against sexual violence because of the example Burke herself puts forth. Burke has shared a powerful message of unity, empathy and outreach in support of survivors of sexual trauma to inspire solidarity, amplify voices and put the focus onto them. As she stated in her lecture, “Just having me speak here for an hour won’t do anything; one needs to focus on change within the community by the community. Those affected don’t have to share their stories, but they need to realize their worth and power and harness it.” Her upcoming book, “Where the Light Enters,” discusses her personal journey as well as the foundations of the Me Too movement. Burke’s talk was presented with support from the FSM Center for Women and a community partner, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio. The next ThinkForum lineup features journalist Julia Ioffe, where she will present a lecture titled “What Russia Wants (and What It Means for America)” on March 5.
Chateau Hough makes wine in the center of Cleveland Matt Hooke Arts & Entertaiment Editor Vineyards pride themselves on their backdrops that symbolize their wealth and prestige. The mountains of Napa Valley and the scenic French countryside of Bordeaux pop into most people’s minds when they think of fine wine. Chateau Hough takes similar pride in its surroundings, but instead of the markers of wealth that most vineyards have, Hough is surrounded by the city of Cleveland. Instead of a mountain backdrop, this Chateau is flanked by an abandoned, boarded-up building. The vineyard is a symbol of renewal in an area marred by poverty, a
phoenix rising from the ashes of a former abandoned lot. The vineyard is a product of the nonprofit Neighborhood Solutions Inc., led by Mansfield Frazier. Frazier considers the name, Chateau Hough, to be a political statement against people who dismiss his neighborhood. “If I were to say Chateau Hunting Valley, people would say ‘well of course.’ If I were to say, Chateau Westlake, where there’s a lot of wealthy gated communities, people would say ‘well naturally,’” said Frazier. “When you say Chateau Hough, people think of the black community and say ‘where are you getting Chateau Hough from?’ I’m saying that the land we occupy in Hough is as valuable to us as their land
is to them.” There is no fence protecting the grape vines. To Frazier, it makes perfect sense. Why would you fence yourself off from your neighbors? “Teenagers can be mischievous, but we hire them, so they take ownership,” said Frazier. “You never see graffiti on any of our stuff. We haven’t had anything happen in the eight years we’ve been here, because we know how to deal with our neighbors. If we put a fence up, I could guarantee you that we would have problems.” The goal of Chateau Hough is to create wealth in the community. Frazier hopes to produce 1,300 bottles of wine this year, up from last year’s yield of 1,000. He believes that making traditional crops like bell pep-
pers would be a waste of time, as they do not have enough dollar value per acre to make money in an urban environment. “You can brand grapes,” said Frazier. “A bottle of wine can be $10 or $100. It’s a dollar yield view.” Neighborhood Connections got a permit to bottle and sell wine earlier this year. Frazier is now waiting for the final approval of the wine label. Once he has permission, he plans to get the wine in some restaurants. His primary goal is to get the wine in Edwins Restaurant in Shaker Square, a French restaurant that is known for training formerly incarcerated people in the art of cooking.
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pg. 7 Actors shine in “A Star is Born”
pg. 8 What about false equivalences?
pg. 11 Athlete inspired by mom
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