Sexual Harassment and Women of Color

We are living through a moment in this culture. Women have been victimized by men since time immemorial, yet there has recently been a groundswell of women coming forward to publicly share their stories of sexual harassment and assault. The accounts of these survivors have resulted in male perpetrators losing their jobs, being expelled from their industries, and having their reputations irreparably tarnished. Perhaps because in this most recent outcry against sexual harassment (remember Anita Hill?) the women who initially came forward were movie and television performers, (household names to many), the media showcased their stories. The movement then spread to other industries—resulting in similar outcomes for men named as assailants—and its momentum ignited movements including #MeToo and Time’s Up, in which harassment and assault survivors share their stories on social media. The current movement against sexual harassment and assault is spreading to include lower-wage workers whose voices often go unheard, and that's great. Yet with all the great coverage of the #MeToo movement, there is still a lack of attention being given to the diversity of the women victimized by sexual harassment and assault.