April 30, 2021

Americans Who Tell the Truth

The reach of activist Tarana Burke‘s intensive work – at the intersection of racial justice, antiviolence and gender equality  – is expanding exponentially. 

Penguin Random House has just released her book You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience.  Burke and co-editor Brené Brown have brought together “a dynamic group of Black writers, organizers, artists, academics, and cultural figures to discuss the topics the two have dedicated their lives to understanding and teaching: vulnerability and shame resilience.”  Trevor Noah interviewed the two women about the book on The Daily Social Distancing Show earlier this week.

And last week the Associated Press reported on Burke’s work with the Black Girl Freedom Fund, “established in September by eight Black women in philanthropy and activism, including Tarana Burke, who is credited with starting the Me Too movement. Its first campaign is 1Billion4BlackGirls, which calls for $1 billion in contributions earmarked for Black girls over the next decade.”

Earlier in April it was announced that Burke and producing partner, Mervyn Marcano, will be producing shows for CBS Studios, “telling the stories of people who have long been underrepresented.”  Burke commented, “Creating space for new narratives has always been an integral part of cultural change work … . This partnership gives us the reach and scale to ensure that we build new audiences for new voices.”  Read full Los Angeles Times story here

Burke’s highly anticipated memoir Unbound is due to be released by Flatiron Books in September 2021.