Are Black Girls and Women More Valuable Than R. Kelly’s “Art”

September 27, 2021 marks the day the "pied piper", R. Kelly was found guilty of racketeering, including bribery, the sexual exploitation of a child and sex trafficking. It was the first time a man was convicted of criminal sexual behavior involving a case where the majority of victims were Black women since the beginning of the Me Too movement. The infamous R&B crooner had been accused of sexually assaulting and manipulating girls, and women for nearly three decades. According to testimony in the trial, Kelly had an enterprise, replete with lawyers, accountants, bodyguards and drivers, all of whom helped lure, manipulate, payoff, control and silence his victims. Multiple women and 2 men testified about their experiences with Kelly, detailing how he did everything from forbidding the women to look at or speak to other men to demanding sexual favors in exchange for a chance at stardom. The most popular instance of his inappropriate relationships was his infamous 1994 illegal marriage to 15 year-old singer Aaliyah when Kelly was 27. Demetrius Smith, a former tour manager for R. Kelly, testified that he bribed a government worker with $500 to get a fake I.D. for Aaliyah so the singer could marry her. According to Mr. Smith, associates of R. Kelly suggested he marry Aaliyah after she said she was pregnant. Aaliyah’s first album aptly titled "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number" was written and produced by R. Kelly.

Patriarchy and sexism have always been issues in America and around the world. However, we witness something even more egregious when we see Black girls and women who live at the intersection of race and gender. In many instances their stories of abuse are ignored or downplayed. According to some studies, Black women are 30-50 percent more likely to experience domestic violence than White women and nearly three times more likely to die as a result of domestic violence than White women.  The stats are so much more severe for Black girls and women that queer Black feminist Moya Bailey coined the term “misogynoir” to identify the mistreatment of they experience.  

Allegations of R. Kelly’s predatory behavior were an open secret for decades. In 2002 he was indicted on 21 counts of making child pornography, and in spite of mountains of evidence, he was acquitted. Ultimately, it would take the launch of the Me Too Movement” and a 2019 Lifetime documentary entitled "Surviving R. Kelly" to bring the disgraced singer to justice. The response to the documentary was swift and dramatic. RCA records dropped him and several artists who had collaborated with R. Kelly, including Lady Gaga and Ciara,  condemned his behavior and had their collaborations pulled from streaming services. Radio stations drastically reduced airplay of songs in Kelly's catalog. However, the cancelling of R. Kelly was not unanimous. There were some diehard fans who continued to support his music and some even suggested the singer was being framed, but fortunately for his victims, those people were not on the jury that would decide his fate. The question that looms large is, why did it take so long?  I think the answer is glaringly obvious. It took so long because when Black girls and women are victims, there's no public outcry, not even in the Black community. If R. Kelly's victims had been young White girls or boys, I believe his career would have been over and he would have been in prison in the 90s. Missing or abused White girls command national media attention and a nationwide obsession with finding justice, and rightly so. However, Black girls and women deserve the same attention, coverage and passion for justice.

R. Kelly's crimes and subsequent conviction have raised a debate in the Black community. Should people still listen to R. Kelly's music? The response is mixed, even from those who outright condemn him. Some people refuse to listen to or play any of his music, while others say they can separate the man from the art. If people stop listening to R. Kelly's because of the crimes he committed, should they stop listening to every artist convicted of sexual crimes? Are Black girl and women more important than R. Kelly's art? I believe that answer will be different depending on who you ask. I leave you with this question,  If R. Kelly had sexually assaulted someone you love, would you want to hear his music? If the answer is yes, carry on. If the answer is no, then maybe we should think about valuing all Black girls and women the way we value the ones we love. The fight for justice cannot be selective. Every instance of injustice must be highlighted, rooted out and health with empathetically. As one who is committed to speaking up for all marginalized people, I’m often reminded of a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” That means fighting for fairness and equity, even when you feel you aren’t a benefactor.