The Ward 8 Community: Hashtag Anacostia Too
Anacostia— The #me too started trending on Twitter late last year after sexual harassment allegations against some of Hollywood's most elite including producer Harvey Weinstein and House of Cards star Kevin Spacey were reported.
Since then the movement has garnered much support from both male and female celebrities uniting to end sexual harassment in the workplace. But has the hashtag jumped off the page and caused awareness in Anacostia?
East of the river some gentlemen had never heard of me too. Briant Mayberry (53) explains to his friend in front of a convenient store that “the movement is for the ladies but also for the men.” He recalls a time growing that he himself nearly suffered sexual abuse from a babysitter. “It is just wrong man, people abusing their power like that.”According to the District of Colombia Policy Center Ward 7 and 8 alone have consistently made up over half of the sexual assault crimes in Washington D.C.
Junior at American University Nhenh Moss (26), studies film and said she remembers her boss hitting on her at her first job. “I told him how old I was, and he still tried it." Moss said she has shared her story with many women before the hashtag was popularized but supports the movement saying that it sheds light on a subject people usually don't feel comfortable talking about.
Angela Barner also supports the me too movement despite never using it on her social accounts. “It allows women to get to share their stories." She heard about the trending topic through a Shonda Rhimes interview she saw on television. When asked if she thought the movement would have an impact in the entertainment industry, she says “No, I think this is going to make a big difference everywhere”.