#MeToo and Intersectionality: An Examination of the #MeToo Movement Through the R. Kelly Scandal

Abstract

The momentum of the #MeToo movement has broadened the reach of the campaign that activist Tarana Burke started in 2006 to help women of color from underprivileged communities who have experienced rape or sexual assault. The campaign received little mainstream media attention until 11 years later, when the phrase was used by prominent White women to share their stories of sexual assault through social media. While the movement has found success with the Weinstein effect, the original audience of the movement—women of color—did not share in its success because of the added factor of race. This comparative analysis through an examination of the R. Kelly scandal will provide insight into the role that intersectionality has played in the #MeToo movement and how the movement has evolved to address intersectionality as part of its overall goal to combat sexual assault and harassment.