WEBSTER GROVES, MO – Monday night the woman behind the METOO# movement was in the St. Louis area.

What started with a simple hashtag led to a revolution demonstrating the prevalence of sexual assault and harassment of women.

Tarana Burke says that she’s been to St. Louis before but wasn’t familiar with Webster University.  She says part of the reason why she is here tonight is that St. Louis still ranks high when it comes to sex trafficking.

Tonight, in an auditorium full of people, mostly students, she addressed the fact that a shift is needed in our society.

Burke says the reason behind her nationwide lecture is to empower young women of color who have been sexually abused, assaulted, or exploited, and to keep them from being marginalized.

She says the movement`s purpose is to create community action plans for interrupting sexual violence wherever it lives in our communities.

Burke says the campaign is about supporting survivors of sexual violence and filling in gaps in our communities.  We need resources to start a healing journey in addition to teaching people on how to become active in their communities to do this type of work.

“This is not a movement that is strictly for women this is a movement that`s for survivors whatever that looks like, however you walk in life if you survive sexual violence this is something that is for you and I really wanted to dispel this myth, you will always see women at the forefront but there are tons of other people who do this work because we can`t do it alone.”