It seems like only yesterday we were talking about the incredible Tarana Burke. Oh, wait; it was just yesterday:
And wasn’t it just a couple of weeks ago that The Glow Up was raving about the #MeToo movement founder’s first magazine cover for Hannah Magazine? Yeah, that rings a bell ...
So when news broke that no less than legendary magazine Variety had chosen Burke to bless the cover of one of its five Power of Women New York issues debuting today—joining Alicia Keys, Tina Fey, Emily Blunt and author Margaret Atwood—I had only one question:
“Can you be stopped?” (G0d, I hope not.)
She laughed me off and thanked me for The Glow Up’s ongoing support, but seriously: Since last fall, Burke has become a force beyond nature, seemingly driven by the sheer will of using this unexpected moment in the spotlight to do everything she can to magnify the struggles and ensure the safety of the girls and women she advocates for daily. Speaking about this latest honor, she told The Glow Up:
I am so honored and humbled to be included in this year’s group of honorees for Power of Women. Each of these women are phenomenal in their own right. This journey continues to humble me daily, but it also emboldens me to keep standing up and speaking up for all of the identities that I represent: survivors of sexual violence, single mothers, black women, professional black girls, regular-degular girls from the Bronx—I hope I can make us proud. Our voices matter. Our lives matter. Our bodies matter—as much as anybody else.
Burke will also be giving a speech at Variety’s Power of Women New York luncheon this Friday. While we wish we had an invite to hear what this always inspirational speaker is going to say (and will be on the lookout for video to share), Burke was quick to put it all in perspective with her now customary grace and humility:
This really isn’t about me, though. In the celebration of this moment, what we are really celebrating is the possibility of healing and joy after trauma. We are celebrating the resilience of survivors of all stripes. And that is not about any one person, but about what we can do together as a global community.