The Long History of #MeToo

From Donald Trump’s Access Hollywood tapes to the allegations against Harvey Weinstein, sexual harassment and sexual violence seem to have suddenly burst into the news cycle. Nearly every day, new allegations against powerful men emerge as more women come forward. But, while many are heralding the rise of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements as an opportunity for change, many of those who are raising awareness about these issues today have protested them in the past. So what’s different now? And how does contemporary activism fit into the longer history of awareness? On this episode of History Talk, hosts Jessica Viñas-Nelson and Brenna Miller invite three experts—Professors Treva Lindsey, Kimberly Hamlin, and Martha Chamallas—to discuss the social and legal histories of sexual assault and harassment in the US, past movements to fight it, and how the conversations going on today fit into the broader story of gender and sexual equality. Guests: Dr. Kimberly Hamlin - Miami University in Ohio specializing in gender, women, and science in the United States. Dr. Martha Chamallas - Professor at the Moritz College of law at Ohio State University and a leading scholar on torts, employment discrimination law, and legal issues affecting women. Dr. Treva Lindsey - Specialist in African American women’s history, black popular and expressive culture, black feminisms, critical race and gender theory, and sexual politics at The Ohio State University’s Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Department. An in-text version of this episode can be found at: https://origins.osu.edu/historytalk/long-history-metoo