SisterLove, Inc Statements: The Conviction Of R Kelly

Robert Kelly, the self-proclaimed Pied Piper R&B, taunted his predatory behavior in front of our

eyes. His scheme was carried out in the open and run by a team of people who kept his abuses private. The music industry knew of his abuses and allowed them to happen. Robert used his influence and money to take advantage of Black women and teenagers. Some victims finally received justice. Robert was convicted of eight counts of sex trafficking and one count of racketeering. He is still awaiting trial on other charges related to child pornography and prostitution. This comes more than a decade after he was acquitted on charges related to a sex tape made with an underage girl. However, it took carts of evidence and mountains of testimony from past victims about their trauma and the abuse they suffered.

This is a small step in the right direction in putting away a predator. However, the issue remains that Black women and girls suffer some of the highest rates of violence and are scarcely given justice. Black women exist at a deadly intersection of being both Black and a Woman. They experience a unique form of oppression from both racism and misogyny.

Black women and girls’ stories are often ignored, silenced, or covered up. In the process, Black women and girls are rarely seen as victims of the violence they suffer, they are made out to be somehow deserving of the abuse they endure. It is also important to note that a large number of Robert’s victims were underage. However, media coverage paints Black girls as adults, which allows people to justify the abuses against them.

One in four Black girls will experience sexual abuse before they reach the age of 18.

One in five Black women are survivors of rape. More than twenty percent of Black women and girls are raped in their lifetime. This number is higher than rape rates for other races of women.

Holding these abusers accountable means not supporting their art, not giving them more power or influence to abuse women. Robert Kelly is threatening to release the names of other abusers that exist in the industry. We encourage him to do so, so we can continue to protect Black women and girls. Black women make up about 40% of domestic sex-trafficking victims. Atlanta is a hotspot for human trafficking.

While the #MeToo movement shined a light on the issue of sexual violence, and given all the work that #MeToo founder, Tarana Burke, has done to shed light on the sexual violence experienced by Black women and girls, there is still work to be done.

We need to listen to Black women. Hear Black women. Protect Black women. Believe Black women.

To learn more about Black women and girl survivors of sexual violence click here.

To support organizations doing work in the sexual abuse space click here.

To learn more about the #MeToo movement and Tanara Burke’s work click here.

To support SisterLove , Inc as we continue to advocate and move towards a world in which every Black woman and girl is free from sexual violence click here.