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Pushing Back Against the #MeToo Backlash

Sep 4, 2019

Pushing Back Against the #MeToo Backlash

In fall 2017, a movement began that would send ripple effects throughout the country. With a simple hashtag, #MeToo, women (and men) began sharing their stories of sexual assault and harassment. As a result, many powerful people — mostly men — faced consequences for their inappropriate and sometimes criminal actions. The accused men included Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose, Al Franken, Garrison Keller, Josh Besh, Mark Halperin, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., Glenn Thrush, Matt L

Men and #MeToo in Southwestern PA: What the Numbers Show

Oct 31, 2018

Men and #MeToo in Southwestern PA: What the Numbers Show

Over the past year, the #MeToo movement has swept the nation. While #MeToo began with Tarana Burke, it exploded in prominence after Hollywood actresses began calling out predators in the industry in fall 2017. Yet sexual harassment and abuse are not limited to the film industry or power players in politics, sports or business. In southwestern Pennsylvania, we know that gender-based violence is a real problem for thousands of women right here in our community. The #MeToo mo

How We Can Create Thriving Workplaces

Jul 25, 2018

How We Can Create Thriving Workplaces

What are the values of your workplace? How do you know? Are they formally communicated, or demonstrated through what is given attention and praise? Is your workplace somewhere you feel safe, valued, respected and heard? Or are there currents of oppression and unspoken rules about who is more valuable? Who is responsible for creating that organizational culture? If you are an employer, how do the employees feel? How does the community view your company? A company’s cultur

Has the #MeToo Movement Affected Workplace Sexual Harassment Policies?

Jul 11, 2018

Has the #MeToo Movement Affected Workplace Sexual Harassment Policies?

Last fall, the phrase “Me Too” echoed across the country and around the world. Although the phrase originated with activist Tarana Burke, it was popularized in October 2017 when actress Alyssa Milano asked her followers on Twitter to reply me too if they had been sexually harassed or assaulted. Much of the conversation around #MeToo centered on sexual assault, particularly as it was revealed that a number of famous men — including director Harvey Weinstein — had sexually ass

Why We Need to Acknowledge the True Founder of the #MeToo Movement, Tarana Burke

Feb 6, 2018

Why We Need to Acknowledge the True Founder of the #MeToo Movement, Tarana Burke

For most Americans, the #MeToo movement started in the fall of 2017, with the bombshell New York Times story that Harvey Weinstein had been sexually harassing and assaulting employees and actresses for decades. On October 15, 2017, actress Alyssa Milano tweeted, “if you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” With that, the #MeToo movement took off, with Milano and actress Rose McGowan typically receiving the credit for it. Yet in re

One Way to End Sexual Harassment? Transparency

Jan 31, 2018

One Way to End Sexual Harassment? Transparency

For most Americans, the Red Cross is a trusted institution, a nonprofit organization that can be relied on during disasters to provide aid. Indeed, here in Western Pennsylvania, the Red Cross has done an incredible amount of good for our community. Yet even the Red Cross is not immune from scandal. Most recently, it was discovered that the national Red Cross not only shielded a top employee from repercussions from sexually harassing one subordinate and allegedly raping anot

Believing Victims When Someone You Know or Admire Is Accused of Sexual Violence

Dec 13, 2017

Believing Victims When Someone You Know or Admire Is Accused of Sexual Violence

We are at a critical moment in American history. Time Magazine just named “The Silence Breakers” as its person of the year for 2017, honoring all those who spoke out against sexual abusers. While we believe that no victim of sexual violence should ever feel compelled or pressured to talk about her or his experience in any way, we acknowledge that those who have chosen to do so, including Tarana Burke who started the #metoo movement more than a decade ago, have created an op

Why Some Women Defend Abusive Men

Dec 6, 2017

Why Some Women Defend Abusive Men

This fall, we have experienced what seems to be a turning point in our national conversation about sexual violence. Powerful men are being held responsible for sexual assaulting and harassing women, and for what feels like the first time, the majority of our society believes the female and male victims who come forward with stories of abuse. Yet one troubling aspect that has risen to the surface during this period of great progress is the number of women who will step forwar

The Many Paths Forward for Victims of Sexual Violence

Nov 29, 2017

The Many Paths Forward for Victims of Sexual Violence

The news has been full of stories recently of women and men alike coming forward to tell their stories of being sexual assaulted or harassed. Many of the perpetrators are famous or powerful men, while still others are unnamed or unknown abusers. We have reached a moment where there seems to be a possibility of real change, where men and women who sexually harass and assault others are being held accountable — and where the majority of our society is believing victims who co

Have We Reached a Moment of Truth?

Nov 15, 2017

Have We Reached a Moment of Truth?

Over the past several weeks, women and men alike have come forward to speak out against powerful men who have sexually abused and harassed them. From Senate candidate Roy Moore to comedian Louis C.K. to actors George Takei, Richard Dreyfuss and Gary Goddard to director Brett Ratner, an ever-growing number of men have been accused of misconduct, abuse and assault. It seems as though this is the beginning of a movement of truth and accountability. While some of the accused ha

Why It’s OK If You Don’t Say #MeToo

Oct 25, 2017

Why It’s OK If You Don’t Say #MeToo

In the wake of the revelation that Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has sexually harassed and assaulted women for decades, a social media trend soon emerged, prompted by actress Alyssa Milano: asking women to say “me too” if they have suffered sexual abuse or harassment. The idea took off, with hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of women sharing that they, too, had been sexually harassed or assaulted with the hashtag #metoo. Notably, this campaign was originally

On Harvey Weinstein, and Why We Must Believe Victims

Oct 11, 2017

On Harvey Weinstein, and Why We Must Believe Victims

Over the weekend, the New York Times published an exposé of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, which ultimately led to him being fired from The Weinstein Company. The article detailed decades of Weinstein sexually harassing and assaulting young female actresses and employees, often utilizing the same patterns and types of behavior. Mr. Weinstein paid at least eight settlements to women for his sexual harassment and assault, and yet he was not fired from his company until

A New Study Proves What We Already Know

Jun 28, 2017

A New Study Proves What We Already Know

For many women and girls, street harassment is an unfortunate fact of life. Far too many men feel entitled to make sexual comments, follow women and girls and even grab or touch them inappropriately. This happens across the United States, every single day, to women and girls of all ages. And yet when a new study on street harassment by U.N. Women and Promundo was released recently, it received worldwide attention. The study surveyed 4,830 men in four countries in the Middl

On Sexual Harassment And The Trumps

Aug 10, 2016

On Sexual Harassment And The Trumps

Last week, in response to the news that multiple female employees of Fox News had accused Roger Ailes of sexual harassment, Donald Trump told USA Today that if his daughter Ivanka were sexually harassed at work, she would “find another career or another company.” His son Eric then commented that Ivanka is “strong” and “powerful” and wouldn’t “allow herself” to be sexually harassed. These statements are both preposterous and offensive. As with all gender-based forms of ab

Introducing….For Parents!

Apr 29, 2015

Introducing….For Parents!

If you’re a parent, chances are that you’ve wondered how to talk to your children about complicated topics like sexual abuse, dating violence, online safety and more. At Blackburn Center, we recognize that talking about these issues with your children can be challenging — and we are here to help! Through our school-based outreach programs, we educate thousands of school-aged children in Westmoreland County. These sessions cover a variety of topics, from bullying to harassme

Blackburn 101: What Is Rape Culture?

Jan 14, 2015

Blackburn 101: What Is Rape Culture?

If you follow us on social media or read our blog, you’ve seen that phrase hundreds of times: “rape culture.” It’s become a shorthand term in modern culture for any number of societal issues involving violence against women…but what exactly does it mean? In the first of our Blackburn 101 series, we set out to define this term to help all of our readers better understand exactly what rape culture is ... because if you don’t know what rape culture is or how to recognize it, y

Nov 5, 2014

It's Not A Compliment

It’s Not A Compliment It’s an experience that almost all women have had at some point in their lives: walking down the street, minding their own business, and being subjected to whistles, catcalls, verbal commentary on their looks, or even assault. Street harassment has long been a part of life for many American women — but widespread attention to the issue may bring about a change by starting a dialogue about why it’s problematic. What exactly is street harassment? It’s a f