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Progression exercise 1.2: Argue and Analyze

Do you think the waitress truly believes that her boss's sexualized behavior towards her is

"okay"? Is sexual aggression just co-workers "play(ing) around" together for fun?

In MeToo by Tarana Burke, her assertion is towards the harassment that women of color

receive and have to face due to male predators. For this reason, Burke founded the movement

MeToo in order to connect with Black and Brown women that have been through those

situations, which is also a platform used by all women to express themselves. In regards to the

harassment that women face there is still a huge gap in justice that they receive due to their race,

skin color, and lack of power. That is, when it comes to white celebrities, they receive much

attention as well as justice. This being because of the simple fact that their skin color is white,

and it becomes an even more important matter when it is a white woman of higher statues, such

as a celebrity that is well known. This case is actually the opposite when it comes to women of

color, since they aren’t taken into consideration of, because they are thought of as different with

little to no value, compared to whites.

In MeToo, it’s explained how women are put at an unjust state because they are neglected

justice and are treated lowly since they are women of color. Situations like these cause women to

have very little power with no control over the situation. Just like in the article, the waitress does

nothing of the situation in which she is put in. Moreover, it is stated that “Anita Hill, thanklessly,

put herself and her career as a law professor on the line … to publicly name Clarence Thomas for

sexually harassing her at work,” which emphasizes how she could have lost everything just for

standing up for herself. This not only shows the neglect of attention put on her and her situation
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but also the injustice that women face, fearing that they may lose everything, since they have no

power or say. Based on two surveys it can be seen that the highest percentage of women violence

are women of color, with the percentages being “22 percent of non-Hispanic blacks” and “12.5

percent of American Indian/Alaska Natives,” demonstrating an obvious target. Since “women of

color… doesn’t get out quite the same,” as white female they are easy prey for male abusers.

Furthermore, based on “gender-based violence,” women are led to an uncertainty of

fighting back especially when they are being treated like this by someone of higher power than

them. Women are left to just deal with the situation they are put in. This is presented to us in the

article MeToo, where the waitress in the diner in Montgomery, Ala can’t do much other than

receive the sexual harassment that she gets from her male boss. The reason as to why she

doesn’t do anything is because “He’s the boss,” which in any case doesn’t matter. Sexual

harassment, assault, and violence is still an offensive matter and shouldn’t be taken lightly and

much less ignored, whether it be your boss or any other person. I don’t think the waitress truly

believes that her boss's sexualized behavior towards her is "okay," however just as she has stated

“boss,” mentioning his status, she thinks she can’t do anything because he’s the one that has a

say and not her. Most of these situations are led because of fear of losing something such as your

job or fear in talking back to their higher ups. Even so, sexual aggression is not just co-workers

"play(ing) around" together for fun. Saying things like “Bring your tail down here,” or acting in

ways in which you are “practically close enough to plant a kiss” are no jokes and is not

something that should be thought of as playing. Stuff like this prove that males see females as

objects or someone to simply appeal to their pleases.