Book One: Emily May of Hollaback

 What if you and a group of friends were sitting around discussing gender inequality and decided you were ready to end street harassment? This is what happened to Emily May, executive director of Hollaback. She and her friends(women and men) started this action movement to create a worldwide community support system to stop the street harassment of women and girls. They encourage women to take action by speaking out and showing others how street harassment is a real problem that should stop. With cell phone cameras and videos so widely available, Hollaback encourages is to document their harassment and share their stories on the website to show were harassment is happening.

What was your inspiration or what necessitated you to begin this adventure? I started the journey to end street harassment when I was 24 years old. My friends and I — four woman and three men — were sitting on a roof deck in Brooklyn, when the women started talking about the crap men said to us on the street.  My friend Samuel Carter – who grew up in the same town as me and went to the same college with me, said quite bluntly, “Emily, you live in a different NYC than I do.”  And we resolved to change that.

It was 2005 and we’d recently heard the story of Thao Nyugen, a young woman who was riding the NYC subway when an older man sat down across from her and began to masturbate.  She pulled out her newfangled cell phone camera — because remember, this was 2005 — and took his picture so that she would have evidence to give to the police. But when Thao showed the photo to the police, they dismissed her and her story. They didn’t take the photo as evidence, and they didn’t file a report.

What Thao did next was a game-changer. She put that photo up on flickr, where her story quickly went viral. It made the front cover of the NY Daily News and ignited a citywide conversation about public masturbation.  It felt like everyone either had a story or they knew someone who did. My boss at the time had seen that exact guy masturbating on the subway. We inspired by Thao’s story. So we logically did what any other twenty-something would do in 2005: we decided to start a blog.  We named it Hollaback, and we documented stories and photos of street harassment in New York City.

What steps did you take to create your program?  Our little bog struck a nerve. Almost immediately after launching we were overwhelmed with requests from activists wanting to bring Hollaback to their town.  So, in 2010, I applied to 8 foundations and 2 fellowships. I was rejected from all of them. And so, with no promise of an income, I took the leap, left my job, and built wings on the way down. Today, I am proud to announce we have scaled our work to over 60 cities in 20 countries and in 12 different languages —- and now we’re expanding to address sexual harassment on college campuses too.

What obstacles were you forced to overcome? For the first six months, I shot up out of bed at 6 a.m. and worked straight until midnight. To save money, I ate mostly dried beans. I gained ten pounds. I barely saw my friends – or the light of day. At my worst moments, it was an obsession. At my best, it was a calling.

All I knew was that I had to make this happen. And I did.

In those first six months, we launched iPhone and Droids apps to give people a real-time response to street harassment, and a new website to house local sites; and began working with the New York City Council on ways to address street harassment.

What must you do to stay operational? We’re in over 60 cities, but we only have two full time staff. To keep this movement moving, we need to build additional capacity. Support us by donating or becoming a member:  https://npo1.networkforgood.org/Donate/Donate.aspx?npoSubscriptionId=1006067

Who, if anyone, helped you succeed? So, so, many people.  My mother, who raised me with courage and confidence. My small but mighty staff, who make this organization what it is. Our site leaders, who keep this movement moving internationally. Our donors, without which we wouldn’t be here today. Our volunteers, who give over a half million a year in in-kind services.  Our board, who goes above and beyond to keep us on track. The list could go on forever.

Do you have any advice for readers who want to get involved or start a similar program? If you want to start a Hollaback site, check out our website for details! It’s a free, three month on-line training a planning process — but the result is world-changing.

And if you’re looking at starting your own venture, my best advice is surround yourself with people who believe in what you’re trying to do.  This includes volunteers, a board, and friends for sure — but it also includes a supportive partner. It’s a hard road, and there will be times when you’ll need to come home and cuddle it out. Having a supportive partner in my life has made all the difference.

Get involved at www.iHollaBack.org and Facebook.com/ihollback

This interview is from a  book that includes 15 other amazing people who are creating positive change. You can read the full book and buy a copy for your school at Bookemon.com. Buy the e-book for 99 Cents on Amazon.com.