Boston Women Back Time Magazine's Honor To 'Silence Breakers'
BOSTON (CBS) - Time Magazine's move to honor "the silence breakers", was a big topic at the Massachusetts Conference for Women's Workplace Summit.
"It's brilliant. I think Time's brilliant for what they did, and I bet you there was a diverse group of people around that table who decided who they were going to be announcing as the person of the year," said guest speaker Verna Myers.
Instead of "person" of the year, Time gave its annual tribute to a group of sexual assault survivors who dared to speak up.
The choice hits home in Boston, which has had its own silence breakers. Just this week, Beacon Hill felt the fallout after alleged victims of State Senate President Stanley Rosenberg's husband came forward. Gold medalist Aly Raisman broke her silence about her for Olympic team doctor, and former news anchor Heather Unruh went public with accusations that actor Kevin Spacey assaulted her son.
"I think it does make people think twice and hopefully consider their actions, which they thought was totally OK to do before," said Tracy Gonyer from Weymouth, who attended the women's summit.
"It's such an important time right now," added Katie Engle from South Boston.
The silence breakers had the backing of countless women attending the Boston summit, hoping they can turn the heartache into a stronger, better tomorrow.
"I think it's the most exciting time that we've been in in a really long time," said Myers. "That doesn't mean there isn't healing to do. That doesn't mean that we don't need to have some accountability for behavior, but it does mean that we are headed in the right direction."
