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Time's Person Of The Year: People Who Broke Silence On Sexual Abuse

Time magazine’s Person of the Year is the #MeToo silence breakers. They spoke out and held powerful men accountable, from Matt Lauer to Harvey Weinstein and more. Where does the movement go?

In the midst of our show, U.S. Sen. Al Franken, a Democrat of Minnesota, said he was resigning from officeafter allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct.

Guests:

Susanna Schrobsdorff, editor at Time Magazine. (@SusannaSchrobs)

Haley Edwards, correspondent at Time Magazine. (@haleybureau)

Sarah Sobieraj, professor at Tufts University. (@sobieraj)

From Tom’s Reading List:

TIME: Person Of The Year: The Silence Breakers — “Movie stars are supposedly nothing like you and me. They’re svelte, glamorous, self-­possessed. They wear dresses we can’t afford and live in houses we can only dream of. Yet it turns out that—in the most painful and personal ways—movie stars are more like you and me than we ever knew.”

President Trump tweeted last month that Time magazine told him he was headed for the cover as Time’s as Person of the Year.  Nope.  On the contrary.  The cover was unveiled yesterday and it’s all women.  Women who have spoken out about sexual assault and harassment.  The #MeToo movement.  Time calls them the Silence Breakers. They are shaking up this culture in powerful ways.  Where does this movement go?  This hour, On Point:  Time’s Person of the Year – The Silence Breakers. —Tom Ashbrook

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

This image provided by Time magazine, shows the cover of the magazine's Person of the Year edition as "The Silence Breakers," those who have shared their stories about sexual assault and harassment. The magazine's cover features Ashley Judd, Taylor Swift, Susan Fowler and others who say they have been harassed. (Time Magazine via AP)
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This image provided by Time magazine, shows the cover of the magazine's Person of the Year edition as "The Silence Breakers," those who have shared their stories about sexual assault and harassment. The magazine's cover features Ashley Judd, Taylor Swift, Susan Fowler and others who say they have been harassed. (Time Magazine via AP)