The #MeToo ”Silence Breakers” named Time magazine’s Person of the Year

Nobody tell Donald Trump.

December 06, 2017

The people behind #MeToo, the movement that has inspired countless people to share their stories of sexual abuse, have been named person of the year by Time magazine. The hashtag took on a raised awareness in the wake of sexual harassment and assault charges against producer Harvey Weinstein and other significant figures in the entertainment world this year.

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Social activist and community organizer Tarana Burke created the #MeToo hashtag back in 2006. The movement picked up renewed attention in October when actress Alyssa Milano tweeted the phrase in response to her experience with Weinstein.

The Time cover, seen above, includes actress and Harvey Weinstein accuser Ashley Judd, Taylor Swift, former Uber engineer Susan Fowler, lobbyist Adama Iwu, and strawberry picker Isabel Pascual.

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The announcement to honor the "silence breakers" was made on Wednesday morning on NBC's Today show. Today host Matt Lauer was among the many men who have lost their jobs after allegations of sexual abuse and harassment were made public.

Other finalists included for the title included Chinese President Xi Jinping and quarterback Colin Kaepernick plus President Donald Trump, who claimed he turned the honor down. This claim was denied by staff at the magazine and Trump was roundly mocked online.

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The #MeToo ”Silence Breakers” named Time magazine’s Person of the Year