Putting words into action — after the founders of Bits & Pretzels publicly distanced themselves from partner Kevin Spacey at the end of last year, they are now announcing Tarana Burke, the founder of the Me Too movement, as the first keynote speaker at Bits & Pretzels 2018.
What was intended as a major coup came to a tough end: Since November last year, the partnership between Bits & Pretzels and Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey has been suspendedSpacey is accused of sexual harassment in several cases. Spacey is on one side.
On the other side is long-time activist Tarana Burke. Burke is part of the "Silence Breakers" movement, which speaks out publicly about and actively campaigns against sexual harassment. She also founded the Me Too movement. The phrase "Me Too" was originally part of her work to build solidarity among victims. Years later, in connection with Harvey Weinstein, the movement went viral as a hashtag and generated over 13 million posts on Facebook and Twitter.
But #metoo isn't just an overnight hashtag sensation. Rather, Burke has been fighting for social justice for more than 25 years and laid the foundation for the movement originally created for "girls of color" who survived sexual abuse and assault. Today, the movement inspires solidarity, amplifies the voices of thousands of victims of sexual abuse, and puts survivors back at the forefront.
Top topic at Bits & Pretzels 2018: Diversity
Foreground is a good keyword, as the theme of this year’s Founders Festival is diversity:
"We believe that diversity helps us unlock our greatest entrepreneurial potential. Diversity in our workforce, in new markets, in our products, in our community, and in our thinking in general will be the key to further and greater opportunities that lie ahead."
The organizers are sure of this.
In this context, Burke will deliver a keynote speech on the first day of the festival, which will take place in Munich from September 30 to October 2, 2018. The three organizers, Andreas Bruckschlögl, Bernd Storm, and Felix Haas, commented:
"We are delighted to have Tarana Burke as our first keynote speaker for Bits & Pretzels. The #MeToo movement has reached millions of people worldwide, and Tarana has been fighting for victims of sexual violence and advocating for gender equality for over 25 years. She is an inspiring, powerful woman who is an active supporter of our theme this year, 'Diversity.'"
