Survivor History is American History

me too. International launches campaign that reframes America 250 through the lens of survivor justice

Survivor History is American History reckons with the sexual violence that has been used as a tool of power and control throughout history.

Atlanta, GA — As the United States marks 250 years of independence, me too. International launched Survivor History Is American History, a multi-platform campaign that reframes the national celebration by centering the history of sexual violence as a tool of power and control throughout the country’s history.

From the legal exclusion of enslaved women from protection under the law, to the founding of the first rape crisis centers, to the Tailhook scandal that exposed systemic assault within the U.S. military, the campaign traces how sexual violence has shaped every era of American history.

The campaign arrives at a moment of undeniable urgency. Nearly 50% of women and more than 1 in 6 men experience some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime. The Survivor Justice Network’s National Survey, administered this April, found that 92% of respondents reported experiencing sexual violence or child sexual abuse in their lifetime, and that survivors are seeking not only healing, but accountability. Nearly half reported that recent funding cuts have reduced access to the resources they need most.

“We’re conditioned to accept sexual violence as something that will happen, rather than something that is accepted and, by design, keeps entire groups of people in a state of fear,” said Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dani Ayers. “The conditions allowing it to persist are deeply ingrained in the fabric of this country, and unlearning it requires all of us. That belief is the foundation of this movement, and it’s what will carry us into the next 250.”

“America has yet to confront who its promises were meant for,” said Co-founder and Chief Vision Officer, Tarana Burke. “We speak of liberty, but whose body has ever been free? Generations of women have had to build the framework for what we’ve endured. The next 250 depends on whether we’re willing to protect everyone.”

For more information or interview requests contact press@metoo.org.

About me too. International

me too. International is dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and disrupting the systems that allow it to proliferate, working at the intersection of survivor advocacy, healing justice, and community-based action.