#MeToo Creator Tarana Burke Will Kick Off the New Year’s Eve Times Square Ball Drop

Desiree O
Updated

If you were on social media this year, you surely saw the powerful effects of the #MeToo hashtag. Though it went viral after actress Alyssa Milano tweeted about it in October, it was actually started by activist Tarana Burke way back in 2007. Burke’s rallying call for survivors of sexual assault has become a defining part of 2017 — which is why she’ll be the one to help us ring in 2018 by dropping the Times Square ball on New Year’s Eve.

On Tuesday, Burke tweeted the press release about her involvement, which quotes her as saying, “I am delighted to be participating in this momentous occasion. I think it’s fitting to honor the Me Too movement as we close a historic year and set our intentions for 2018. With the new year comes new momentum to fuel this work and we won’t stop anytime soon.”

In her tweet, she added, “Welp! Looks like the cat is out of the bag. Yours truly will be pressing the Waterford crystal button to release the ball drop in Times Square on NYE. We are setting intentions for the new year.” She also included the updated hashtag “#metoo2018,” proving that the campaign intends to stay strong going into the next 12 months.

According to Mashable, the president of the Times Square Alliance, Tim Tompkins, said via the release, “New Year’s is a time when we look at the most significant cultural and political moments of the last year, when we look for inspiration by honoring and giving a global platform to those who have made a difference. Tarana Burke’s courage and foresight have changed the world this year, and, we hope, forever.”

We couldn’t agree more, and we can’t wait to start the new year right.

What do you think about Tarana Burke dropping the ball in Times Square this New Year’s Eve? Let us know @BritandCo!

(photo via Sarah Morris/Getty Images)