2022 Annual Report: More Than a Moment

2022 Annual Report

MORE THAN A MOMENT

Creating pathways for healing, justice, action and leadership

CREATING PATHWAYS FOR HEALING, JUSTICE, ACTION AND LEADERSHIP

We will continue to look for the bridges we can cross to bring together those who don’t see themselves in our work, for them to understand the efforts of ‘me too.’ are for them, too.”

DANI AYERS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

TARANA J. BURKE, CHIEF VISION OFFICER

Crossing Bridges Together

2022 was no doubt a turbulent year, marked by our emergence from lockdowns and discovering our “new normal” after the pandemic revealed so much about who we are. So many lives were lost due to COVID-19, and so many families forever changed. As we sift through the challenges of what we lost and the joys of being able to gather with our communities again, many facts remain about 2022. It will forever be the year that the Supreme Court, now weighed by conservative appointees, overturned Roe v. Wade — upending abortion rights across the U.S. With federal protections removed, legislative battles are now being fought at the state level with virtually no uniformity. The ripple effect has been horrific, with survivors of sexual violence deeply impacted, especially those Black and Brown, and all communities of color. It was also a U.S. midterm election year, and as we witnessed more political shifts, the realities of rising inflation and the threat of a recession concluded the year with a feeling of unease.

It’s important to recognize, especially in moments of challenge and struggle – OUR WINS – no matter how small. Last year marked the 5th Anniversary of #MeToo and reminded us to take stock of what has been made possible since 2017 when the hashtag went viral. Over 20 laws have been passed to make workplaces safer from harassment and violence; organizations and companies created countless policies to prevent workplace rape culture and hold those who cause harm accountable. Not only in the U.S., but also globally, the increased discussion on the issue of sexual violence was made possible by #MeToo, and organizers and activists across the world have been successful in not only passing legislation, but also in changing culture and behavior. There is greater attention on the pervasiveness of rape culture than there has ever been, and a current of transformation continues to reshape our society five years later.

Inside this report, you’ll find a treasure of offerings the ‘me too.’ organization brought to the virtual and physical streets in 2022, grounded in reaching a broad cross-section of Black and Brown communities.

After four years of convening, thought partnership and writing and revision, our social and political framework — our foundation — was brought into the world, and there is so much more to come from it! We launched Survivor’s Sanctuary, an online, first-of-its-kind self-guided healing platform, free for anyone to access lessons and activities wherever you are in your healing journey.

Our February Survivor Healing Series reached survivors in their homes, workspaces, and places of worship. Holistic programming − like Survivor Leadership Training and Historically Black College and University (HBCU) internships − equipped young people with tangible skills to support survivors on their campuses and strategies to improve their community safety. The partnerships we’ve continued to develop this year, through the Survivors’ Agenda, and the poll we conducted assessing voters’ attitudes toward the need for political candidates to address sexual harassment and violence, added dimension to our already multifaceted survivor community. Our partnership with Global Fund for Women and the deep and thoughtful work of planning a global network of survivor-led groups in the Global South is evidence that formations across the world are thirsty for new ways of thinking about disrupting, resisting, and dismantling the systems that perpetuate sexual violence.

In just four years as an organization, ‘me too.’ has developed a location-based healing resource library, commissioned resources for survivors and advocates, written core programming curricula for individual survivors, built a free healing platform, executed countless campaigns pushing for continued progress toward survivor justice, led partnerships to support the field of folks working with survivors every day, and much more! In 2023, we will embark on a strategic planning process to determine the next phase of the organization’s work. We are excited to engage with our communities (i.e., those in the field, philanthropy, and everyday folks) to determine where we need to hone in and focus our efforts. We look forward to working alongside new partners and friends who have yet to see the needs of the survivors they serve. We will continue to look for the bridges we can cross to bring together those who don’t see themselves in our work, for them to understand the efforts of ‘me too.’ are for them, too.

HIGHLIGHTING THE FRAMEWORK AS A GUIDE TO THIS REPORT

2022 marked the 5th Anniversary of the viral hashtag #MeToo. With five, immeasurable years of disruption and progress and many more to come, declaring, reclaiming and articulating the work of me too. International and the broader survivor justice movement is as critical as ever. From this need, came At the Core of Us: me too. International’s Social and Political Framework — a defining and foundational document that harnesses the power and voices of the survivor justice movement in a single document.

This offering contains all the language we could find to sum up our fundamental truth: we are a movement ofsurvivors focused on healing and action. It is our deepest belief that the way we move through the work of survivor justice is guided by the principles and values illustrated in our social and political framework. Similarly, as we reflect on our work and impact in 2022 and envision beyond, we hold this framework as our guide and tool. In this annual report, we explore the work we did in 2022 to:

1 4 2

Encourage the media, our communities, and ourselves to go Beyond the Hashtag.

Increase survivors’ access to culturally relevant healing resources. 3 Invest in the leadership and organizing skills of survivors and allies, alike. 5 Increase cross-movement connectivity to disrupt harmful conditions that impact survivors.

Challenge philanthropy to fund survivor justice work in the manner our advocates and survivors deserve.

Finally, we explore how we transformed as an organization to embody our values and principles and strengthened our approach to this critical work.

PHOTO: © EYE FOR EBONY

HEALING STARTS IN COMMUNITY

Our programmatic offerings provide a safe space to heal, connect and grow in community. It’s where survivors can explore their needs, prioritize wellness, and take essential steps in their healing journeys.

Ensuring survivors have access to Survivor’s Sanctuary is critical to its success. As a part of its launch, we created digital advertisements illustrating the impact the platform can have on a survivor’s healing journey.

Survivor’s Sanctuary

During Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, we dedicated our efforts to moving beyond awareness and into healing in action. Navigating systems and services that fall short of seeing us as fully human, especially when we live inside of bodies that have been historically oppressed, re-triggers us and disconnects us from our sense of worth. The work of healing can seem even more daunting when there are so few resources that are accessible, customizable, and culturally competent.

That’s why we were proud to introduce one of our biggest offerings to date, Survivor’s Sanctuary. This free, digital and self-guided healing platform launched with 36 healing lessons from BIPOC wellness practitioners and survivors whose experiences profoundly shape their philosophy and methods for healing. Whether participants are just starting on their healing journey or looking for new tools to deepen their process, Survivor’s Sanctuary meets survivors where they are with varied levels of engagement based on mind, body, and integrative approaches. Survivors can move at their own pace, rate lessons allowing them to shape the offerings of Survivor’s Sanctuary, and create a healing journey that they can access anywhere and at any time.

Survivor Healing Series: Count It All Joy

During Black History Month, we uplifted Black joy as resistance and its transformative power in healing survivors, communities, and our global society. Beginning with an Instagram Live featuring the ‘me too.’ team, followed by three workshops, including The Pleasure Portal (exploring pleasure as a healing practice for survivors) and Recipes and Rituals for Healing (exploring the healing power of food and ritual).

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Healing in community not only means taking charge of one’s own healing journey, but it also means equipping ourselves with the tools and community support necessary to become community leaders and advocates, enabling a ripple of change in the movement to end sexual violence.

Survivor Leadership Training

Supported by experts from the ‘me too.’ team and movement leaders, Survivor Leadership Training hosted its first class of 14 participants who embarked on a 12-week program exploring concepts including the Historical Context of Sexual Harm, Carceral Feminism and Abolition; Organizing 101, and Media Training. Participants concluded the program by putting their growing knowledge into practice through a community impact project presentation.

Our first cohort of Survivor Leadership Training participants gathered weekly, meeting virtually but developing deep connections as they supported one another as burgeoning leaders and organizers.

HBCU Internship

In the fall of 2022, we hosted two burgeoning survivor-leaders seeking to contribute to the work of disrupting sexual violence on their HBCU campuses. The interns curated activations on their campus to bring awareness to sexual violence that happens within the campus setting.

“I deeply appreciated all parts of this internship. I believe it creates an opportunity to grow as a leader on campus and connect with other individuals that are passionate about survivor justice, just as I am... I believe I was challenged to problem solve in a way I haven’t done before...which is a skill I will continue to use going forward.”

THE INTERSECTION OF HEALING AND ACTION

‘me too.’ and its communities do not only exist in the aftermath of sexual violence. We exist as proactive community support. We exist to innovate and intervene. We exist as a convener to harness the power of survivor leaders seeking to make critical shifts in the political and material conditions of survivors every day.

Narrative Power Building

Survivors have long been subject to narratives that promote further harm and shame. Creating shifts in these narratives that form our understanding of sexual violence is essential to creating progress that enables the healing of survivors, the safety of our communities, and the eventual eradication of sexual violence in our world.

2022 saw a year of continued hyper-awareness of #MeToo, and yet, the understanding of the needs of survivors and the goals of the movement to end sexual violence was often mischaracterized and even villainized. From celebrity cases to the mass attacks on Black and Brown folks, trans children and adults, and overall body autonomy, this year highlighted the expansive work still needed within our local and global communities.

Yet, we stood steadfast in our commitment to address these issues head-on by reminding the world that survivors possess agency and power and deserve to have their voices, needs, and visions at the center of the issues impacting them. Most importantly, we joined our community of survivors and allies to illustrate the multifaceted intersections of survivor identity, understanding that when we work towards survivor justice and survivor healing, we are working toward wellness, racial equity, disability justice, queer and trans liberation, legal justice reform, and much more.

“Sustained action amongst courageous individuals is necessary to end sexual violence.”

— me too. International’s Social & Political Framework

Tarana Burke, Founder and Chief Vision Officer of me too. International speaks with Soledad O’Brien on the efforts to expand dialogue around sexual violence survivors, June 2022.

Reproductive Justice is Survivor Justice

As reproductive rights fell onto the legislative chopping block, survivors were routinely excluded from the conversation − except when used as political pawns and exemptions. We re-centered survivors in this national conversation and reminded the world of the intersections of body autonomy and reproductive care. Ultimately, in collaboration with Survivors’ Agenda and a host of other community partners, we made it clear that reproductive justice is survivor justice.

Survivors’ Agenda

Survivor’s Agenda is a collective of survivor-centered organizations working to highlight survivors as a key political demographic that is well-informed and well-equipped to change policy, advocate and organize. In the spirit of survivor leadership, political education, and collective power, Survivors’ Agenda worked to gather and release insightful data that demonstrates the political demands and priorities of survivor voters as we approached the 2022 midterm elections. We produced a messaging guide and toolkit that reaffirmed our right to take up electoral space and hold our elected political officials accountable.

The data in the National Survey Findings Toolkit lays bare the potential that survivor voters have in both political and policy-making arenas. Graphics like these helped survivors exercise their voting power and activate their networks around the midterm elections.

This Juneteenth, a vibrant group of Black reproductive justice leaders, accompanied by a range of civil rights and Black-led organizations, led a march at the Supreme Court to oppose the biggest threat to Black lives at this moment: attacks on bodily autonomy and freedom.

This year, we focused our efforts on the potential of a “survivor voter” identity – a politicallyorganized, cohesive voting bloc united by our collective support of making the Survivors’ Agenda policy platform

a reality.”

— RAANA SIMMONS, MANAGER OF LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS & POLICY, SURVIVORS’ AGENDA

The core values of healing and BIPOC-led approach of [‘me too.’] resonates strongly with me...I am confident about the unique contribution of this global me too network to shift narratives, push social and political changes, and elevate survivors´voices at a global scale.

— NAIR CASTILLO, GLOBAL CONSULTANT, GLOBAL ‘ME TOO.’ INITIATIVE

me too. International and Global Fund for Women have joined forces to develop and advance a shared vision to strengthen a global, interconnected, and intersectional movement to end sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). This partnership is an opportunity for us to leverage our unique learnings, experiences, and localized relationships so that we can advance an overarching goal: to facilitate a well-resourced global ecosystem that works to end SGBV, and make healing and actionable support systems available to survivors.

Global Network

In August, we hired Nair Castillo as the Global Consultant for the Global ‘me too.’ initiative, anchored by me too. International and Global Fund for Women. This work has been evolving over the last couple of years and has required several iterations in response to the global pandemic. We are committed to a participatory and inclusionary global network-building process, grounded in listening to the needs of our global partners and remaining flexible to respond to rapidly changing environments. Nair comes to this work as the former Director of Planning, Transparency and Management for the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity in Buenos Aires. Under her leadership, we shared the key findings of our 2020 global survey in six languages with over 500 of our global partners. We are thrilled to be working with her during the coming year in building our global network.

PHOTO: © COURTESY OF NAIR CASTILLO

BEYOND THE HASHTAG: CELEBRATING

FIVE YEARS OF DISRUPTION

2022 marked the 5th Anniversary of #MeToo. It marked five years of advocacy; five years of bold envisioning; and five years of survivors leading the way and endeavoring toward a world free from sexual violence. For us, it was and is imperative that we use this time to look back at this unyielding progress and carve a path forward.

and Political Framework

At the center of our work sits survivor leaders; leaders who understand the work of disruption, the needs of survivors, and, most importantly, that the path forward can only be achieved when we combine healing and action. With this in mind, we developed and released our social and political framework − our articulation of our fundamental truths and our understanding of the problem impacting us all.

We launched our social and political framework to explore, define, and dissect the many aspects of #MeToo, me too. International, and the broader survivor justice movement. Over the span of four years, we discussed and learned. We conducted numerous surveys and interviews with our communities. In the framework, we debunk myths and answer key questions – “who is me too. International?” and “what is our approach to

The document immerses readers in five key conversations —

1 me too. International’s analysis of the problem

2 A collective envisioning of a world free from sexual violence

3 The work of me too. International

4 The values, principles, and policies me too. International is accountable to as an organization and movement

5 The role of allies

We are proud of what we created in collaboration with our partners, the voices of the survivors who participated in our focus groups and surveys, and of course, the survivors who continue to raise their voices and demand accountability, resources, and material change.

At the Core of Us: me too. International’s Social

Amplifying on Purpose

On October 18th, we staged guerilla-style video projections on prominent buildings in four U.S. cities − Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia. The goals for this disruption included: declaring sexual violence a public health crisis; bringing sexual violence survivorship out of the shadows into public spaces; creating urgency and action around the issue of sexual violence prevention and survivor healing and support; and highlighting the ecosystem that creates harm and name the state as an actor in perpetuating it. In collaboration with The BlackOut Collective and local community partners in each city, we accomplished those goals and learned a lot about the crossover dynamic of placing a virtual phenomenon like #MeToo inside of our physical realities.

12 for 12

To kick off the 5th Anniversary of #MeToo going viral, we hosted a 12-minute grounding conversation with ‘me too.’ founder, Tarana Burke, and the founder of SisterSong, Loretta Ross. The conversation was a moment for reflection, affirmation, and activation centered around ending sexual violence and taking action in the survivor justice movement.

Our call to action broadcast across the New York State Supreme Court. We chose this location to highlight the critical relationship between systems of power, our legal system, and sexual violence.

Our ‘me too.’ team member Amanda Bonilla joins founder Tarana Burke and Reproductive Justice Foremother Loretta Ross on Instagram Live on the fifth anniversary of #MeToo.

Attendees dove deep into conversation during our Philadelphia community dinner, exploring the realities facing survivors in their community and beyond.

Building Survivor Power and Collective Vision in Real Space & Time

Over the past four years, me too. International crafted its programming through virtual and digital offerings to meet the needs of survivors wherever they are. However, as we begin to emerge from a ravaging pandemic into a “new normal,” we experimented with an in-person offering. Conversations Beyond the Hashtag: A ‘me too.’ Community Dinner was hosted in Philadelphia on October 28th. We brought together over 100 local community members into one space to break bread, access resources, and discuss survivor demands.

“I really loved the ability to be truly totally ourselves in all of our Blackness and our survivorship. Thank you for the labor and the explicit care I felt being in the space with you all.”

— COMMUNITY DINNER PARTICIPANT, PHILADELPHIA

FUNDING A MOVEMENT AND EMPOWERING A COMMUNITY

The overlapping layers of harm survivors experience in a patriarchal and male-dominated society must no longer be addressed in silos. Survivors are not one-dimensional characters; for this reason, we continue to call on philanthropy to contribute through an intersectional lens. We are dedicated to connecting with and educating the philanthropic community and providing an analysis of sexual violence in order to create a shift in the way survivor justice work is funded.

Galaxy Gives supports me too. International because survivors’ voices need to be included in the conversation to end mass incarceration, and they know more than anyone that our current system of mass incarceration makes us all less safe.”

— ALEX DURAN, PROGRAM DIRECTOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, GALAXY GIVES

FINANCIAL RESOURCES FOR THE SURVIVOR JUSTICE MOVEMENT

In 2022, ‘me too.’ distributed $345,000 directly to community partner organizations through regrants, sponsorships and donations.

Income

74.5% FOUNDATION TRUSTS

13.7% CORPORATE GRANTS AND SPONSORSHIPS

6.5% INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS

1% IN-KIND SERVICES

4.3% CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS

Expenses

A majority of accrued expenses were allocated to ‘me too’s’ signature programming that directly provides support and resources to program participants and the broader survivor community.

15% 10%

75%

PROGRAMS ADMIN FUNDRAISING

EMBODYING THE CULTURE SHIFTS WE WANT TO SEE

We are proud to be a Black-led, survivor-led, survivor-centered organization operating with great intention and embodying the culture of care, compassion, and equity that we want to see in the world. As a small but mighty team, we work diligently to foster an environment that enables each of our team members to bring their full selves to the work and have found these attributes to be critical to our success as an organization.

Gathering our Team

Collaboration across teams is essential to our innovative approach to this work. Though we are fully remote with team members spread across multiple states, we take time each quarter to convene in person. During these convenings, we embark on our ideation process, undertaking the larger questions and assessments that are critical to moving the organization and, ultimately, the movement forward. Still, as mentioned, fostering a culture of care is paramount to the sustainability of our organization. During these convenings, we also take time to allow our team to nourish themselves through fellowship and enrichment with one another. We hold ourselves to the same standards of care and wellness that we encourage our survivor community to possess.

Team Growth and Development

We are proud of our team, expanding our capacity to create resources, programming, and innovative offerings to our survivor community. During 2022, our team grew with the addition of Kay Coghill, our Digital Director. They bring an in-depth understanding of digital spaces and how to utilize them to build community and engage survivor communities. In addition, Nikita Mitchell also joined the ‘me too.’ team in a full-time capacity as the new Chief Strategy Officer, bringing her wealth of knowledge in movement building and collaborative strategy.

The ‘me too.’ team (left to right): E Morales-Williams, Denise Beek, Dani Ayers, Tarana Burke, Candice Crawford, Shesheena Bray, Kay Coghill, Amanda Bonilla, Carlisa Johnson, Nikita Mitchell, Raquel Greene, Samyuktha Natarajan.

me too. International is a resource for survivors as well as a source for healing to begin. That’s why I am a committed board member of me too. International as we all attempt to embody the language of Lilla Watson, ‘If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.’”

— WADE DAVIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF INCLUSION FOR PRODUCT, NETFLIX

MORE TO COME Impact Study

2022 marked a year of exceptional growth for our organization. We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead to engage survivors, strategize and deepen our commitment to the movement.

As part of our year-long recognition of five years of #MeToo, we are assessing the true impact of the hashtag in partnership with Social Insights, a Black-led, woman-owned research firm. Through literature reviews, surveys, and focus groups, we are exploring the shifts and progress made within politics and policy, health and wellness, youth and education, media, entertainment and sports, and workplace and economy. Additionally, we are joining forces with some of today’s brightest thinkers, leaders and cultural practitioners to examine the movement at the intersections of race, gender, and power. Our community of thought leaders and social impact strategists, embolden us to actualize a world free from sexual violence, and answer the question — “What’s at stake if we don’t?”

Movement Building: Survivors’ Agenda and Global Network

We continue to strengthen our networks nationally and internationally. Both the Survivors’ Agenda coalition and the Global Network are launching into deeper strategic planning to ensure that proper infrastructure and leadership models are in place. In addition, we have begun a participatory research process that will culminate in a series of global webinars in 2023.

OUR GRATITUDE

We are grateful for our funders who are moving beyond traditional ways of giving. We are enabled by their belief that survivors hold the solutions and are deserving of resources, trust, and survivor-led advocacy.

THE LEAGUE OF

D isruptors

The League of Disruptors is a group of supporters who are empowered to give a recurring monthly donation. As a grassroots organization doing the work of a global movement, the strength of our work is a direct result of the consistent support of our community. When survivors, allies, and other community members feel empowered to give, the rippling impact of our collective power can’t be denied.

Mike A.

Danielle Ayers

Margo Bender

Nancy Boyd

Laura Brooks

Jenna Carpenter

Kristin Costello

Kim DeRose

Pamela Elwell

Norm Farley

Karen Feeley

Karen Fleshman

Kristina Gawrgy

Emily Hill

Allison Holstrom

Geoffrey Jackson Scott

Carrie James

Honoree Jeffers

Lan Johnson

S David Kaufman

Meredith Kittle

Lucas Klein

Carter Liebman

Stephanie Livingston-Heywood

Patrick Malone

Jenn Mansfield

Kelly McCabe

Sheri Miller

Kimberly Dyan Moore

Dorothy Neagle

Sarah Nusser

Lisa Pamphilon

Ruth Payne

Ognjen Petrovic

Laura Reagan

Tracey Smith

Melanie Steinbach

Oliver Terrey

Andy Tillett

Aidan Todd

Kelley Turner

Helen W. Mallon

Cora Walker

Doug Wells

Ayuko White

Alan Woo

WHO WE ARE Mission

‘me too.’ serves as a convener, thought leader, and organizer across the mainstream and the grassroots to address systems that allow for the proliferation of sexual violence, specifically in Black, queer, trans, disabled, and all communities of color. Leveraging its model and framework, grounded in existing research and theory, ‘me too.’ centers individual and community healing and transformation, empowerment through empathy, shifting cultural narratives and practices and advancing a global survivor-led movement to end sexual violence.

Consultants and Partners Staff

Amanda Bonilla Development Manager

Candice Crawford Operations & Finance Associate

Carlisa Johnson

Media and Narrative Strategist

Chanelle Ferguson Communications Fellow (August 2021-22)

Dani Ayers

Chief Executive Officer

Denise Beek Chief Communications Officer

E Morales-Williams Program Coordinator

Kay Coghill Digital Director

Nikita Mitchell Chief Strategy Officer

Raquel Greene Executive Assistant

Samyuktha Natarajan Engagement Specialist

Shesheena Bray Director of Programs

Tarana Burke

Founder & Chief Vision Officer

Airam Marcano Natty Camille Healing Support Specialists

Alicia Jay Project Director, Survivors’ Agenda

Anjali Kumar BakerHostetler Legal Counsel

Ayanna Spencer, Ph.D. Framework Consultant

Devan King Graphic Designer

Nolte FCB SIX Web Developers Outright Creative Agency Partners

Leilani Brown Pro Bono Sponorship Consultant

Nair Castillo Global & National Network Consultant

Raana Simmons Legislative Affairs Manager, Survivors’ Agenda

Raegan Burden Copyeditor

Sutro Li Wegner CPAs Accounting Partners

Board of Directors

Elizabeth Hanley Finance, Office of Technology, City of Philadelphia

Imani Perry Professor of African American Studies, Princeton University

Laura Brown Editor-in-Chief, InStyle

Tarana Burke 'me too.' Founder and Chief Vision Officer

Thenmozhi Soundararajan Dalit Activist, Executive Director, Equality Labs

Wade Davis VP of Inclusion for Product, Netflix

Dr. Yaba Blay Scholar-activist Cultural Producer