#MeToo Movement Wins TIME Person of The Year

Beginning in 1927, TIME Magazine has released an annual special edition that features the Person of the Year. The magazine has highlighted a diverse crowd, ranging from beloved celebrities of the time such as Charles Lindbergh, leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, and almost every president to be in office while the event took place.

However, TIME chooses the recipient of this award based not only on positive accomplishments but on who or what influenced the news the most that year, whether it be good or bad. As such, notorious figures who have left a malevolent mark in history have also received the title, most notably Adolf Hitler in 1938. Regardless of how the nominees affected people’s lives, the yearly announcement is always a highly anticipated event.

This year’s shortlist included Kim Jong Un, the leader from North Korea who has recently installed a new threat of nuclear war, current U.S. president Donald Trump, and The Dreamers, undocumented immigrants who were brought here as children by their parents.

Also included was the record breaking director of Wonder Woman, Patty Jenkins, as well as Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, who became the world’s richest man this year.

Additionally, former SF 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick who started a wave of protests throughout the NFL by kneeling during the national anthem against racism and police brutality, members of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment, and crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, were also featured.

The final members of the shortlist were Xi Jinping, one of China’s most powerful leaders, and Robert Mueller, who has received the responsibility of investigating possible Russian influence on President Trump’s election.

Although the shortlist started a lot of conversations this year, the main event was, as it always is, the announcement of the final recipient for the Person of the Year award. This year’s announcement came on Wednesday morning, December 7, and the winner was the #MeToo movement.

The title is always given to who or whatever has influenced the news and people’s lives throughout the course of the year, and no one can argue the immense influence of #MeToo. Ever since the movement started several months ago, countless articles and news stories have displayed headlines related to it.

#MeToo is centered around men and women opening up about their experiences being harassed as well as holding their harassers accountable for their actions. Many celebrities, such as Taylor Swift, have shared their stories, but ordinary people also play a huge role in it. These ordinary people, often unable to speak up about their struggles for fear of consequences that would hurt them or their family, are represented on the cover of the Person of the Year magazine by an anonymous hospital worker who only showed her arm in the photo because showing her identity would have negative results for her family.

The #MeToo movement was also selected for its future potential. Although it has already exposed many powerful people who are now being made to pay for their actions, many believe it is just the beginning of a truly revolutionary event that no one can predict the ultimate effect of.