This appears in the August issue of Essence magazine. Written by Kevin Powell, who you might remember from the first season of the Real World, he raises some interesting questions. Maybe he was like me and bothered deeply by the R Kelly speech at the BET Awards where Kelly said "Black people need to stick together". Any way here's the piece.


From the AUGUST 2003 issue of ESSENCE magazine
In the Matter of R. Kelly
By Kevin Powell

This piece is about the R&B singer R. Kelly, who will face child pornography charges in a Chicago courtroom this month. But then again, it's not. What it's really about is how too often we in the Black community fail to respond in anger when even the most atrocious acts are committed against us by famous people who happen to look like us.

I have been troubled by this issue since R. Kelly, 36, was first charged with 21 counts of child pornography, including engaging in sexual acts with a 14-year-old girl. Whether he's guilty of these charges, or others he's facing in Florida, I don't know.

But I do know that Kelly has settled two lawsuits filed by women who accused him of having sex with them when they were minors. And we all know that he married the singer Aaliyah when she was 15 years old by obtaining an Illinois marriage certificate that said she was 18. (The union was annulled.) What bothers me is that while some of us have spoken out against Kelly, many people still
embrace him.

Kelly's most recent album, Chocolate Factory, jumped to No. 1 on the Billboard charts its first week out, selling more than 500,000 copies. A children's book about him, I Can Fly, was re-released in March by Unique Expressions to "uplift women and children," according to Kim Dulaney, the company's president. And I haven't forgotten the rally that was held for him in Chicago last
August.

At the event, 40 children who wore pro-Kelly T-shirts joined approximately 100 adults. One adult, who helped bring children to the rally, said she was there because kids needed role models.

Supporting Black male celebrities who behave reprehensibly is not new. Let's not forget the welcome home rally for Mike Tyson in Harlem after he was released from prison in 1995 for rape, or the support of Mayor Marion Barry, who was smoking crack while in public office.

Do we remain silent because White racism is alive and well we fear we may add to the troubles of Black celebrities by weighing in on their sins? Are we subconsciously saying it's okay for us to be abused, molested and lied to because we don't expect more for ourselves and our race? What disturbs me is the comments from Black people who show little sympathy for the girls involved with R. Kelly. I've heard some say that if a 14-year-old girl had sex with him, she must have wanted it. Did we forget that adults have to accept responsibility for their actions even if a child has been socialized to do grown-ups things?

In the 2002 BET interview with Ed Gordon, R. Kelly admitted he'd made mistakes. But I'd say any artist who habitually makes songs about his insatiable sexual appetite and songs that compare women to automobiles, has a serious p roblem. Rather than challenging Kelly to seek help, we're sending a message that the charges against him shouldn't be taken seriously, and that his life should return to normal.

But R. Kelly will never be "normal" or healthy as long as he thinks haters are at the root of his problems. And neither will we, as long as we don't demand more of ourselves and of the people we call our heroes.

Kevin Powell is the author of Who's Gonna Take the Weight? Manhood, Race, and Power in America (Crown/Random House), which will be in bookstores on August 19th.

R. Kelly has been trying to milk whatever he can to get some approval by saying that. when he brought a preacher to his interview, i was through with him

I think R. Kelly is right.

If we Black people don't stick together, then whose children can we rely on when we want to videotape ourselves molesting them sexually and pissing on them when we're done?

OneMoJam said:

OneMoJam said:

LMAO
that was some funny shit

Finally, some sense! Totally agree with the article.

My older sister,who has never bought an R.Kelly CD in her life,recently went out and bought 'The Chocolate Factory'.I asked her about it and she said something to the effect of "well,I just like the music...I don't care what he does in his personal life".And I think that seems to be the general feeling.Folks are really digging his new CD,regardless of the scandal.Career-wise,he just might be okay,assuming he doesn't go to prison...lol...

DavidEye said:

I have real strong feelings about this, David. I keep getting the impression that folks think he did it, but are gonna keep supporting him anyway. I have even heard on Chicago radio, folks calling in blaming the situation on the 14 year old, say stupid shit like: She knew what she was doing. WTF? I keep having conversations with friends and family about tha R. I refuse to buy or even listen to R. Kelly's music because of what I feel he did in his personal life. Folks just shrug their shoulders when it comes to him. I ask myself these questions: What if it were their kid on the videotape? Does that make it okay because it happened to someone else's child? Is it okay cuz it's an artist you like? It would really be nice if the black community got together and got outraged at the thought that he might be a sexual predator instead of having his back. If he were any other Joe Blow on the street, everyone would outraged, but because Kelly brings the bangers, it's aw'ight. I don't get that.

stymie said:

Exactly!

DavidEye said:

double ccosign.

Yeah but do we see the media making a big deal of Woody Allen's marrige to his adobted daughter? Do we see the media making a big deal of Elvis marrying a 13 years old young lady "Liz's mother? No!

I'm not saying R.Kelly is right about this, but then again the media is a hypocrite. I neva heard 'em mention Evlis nor Woody,,,that should tell u something!

Harlepolis said:

Harle, I totally agree with you on Mr. Allen and the media is hypocritical, but I used to hear about Woody Allen all the time. I don't pay to see, nor have I ever watched his movies either. How can you raise a child as yours and then marry her?

stymie said:

Thats what I'm saying! I don't hate none of them but somebody need to shed lights on this mo' than talking about Mike Tyson & R.Kelly.

Lemme be frank, I used to be a teenage mother so nobody can tell me what its like be in that mess more than myslef. But then again, why people are supporting this one-sided media? Esp black folks who have been stereotyped as "horney sex machines" by the same media they're co-signing to?

This is an ugly situation lol I bet the media won't get even if they saw Pamela Anderson sucking some negro's dick instead of Tommy Lee. They didn't give a frog's fat ass about Elvis nor Woody but you see them hounding on Mike, R.Kelly & O.J. Simpson.

Blame R.Kelly, but DON'T BLAME HIM ALONE thats all I have to say!

Harlepolis said:

i don't know about the elvis stuff...i wasn't around. i do know that when jerry lee lewis married his cousin the whole world thought he was a perv. i also seem to remember a whole helluva lotta commotion when woody got involved wth soon li. there was scandal galore. but it couldn't become a legal matter because she was 18. this thing with r kelly is still n the illegal phase so of course it is even more scandalous. i don't think its a race thing, its just a circumstancial thing.

Harlepolis said:

ummm, yeah, they made a big deal out of it. Jerry Lee Lewis, not Elvis, career was ruined by it .didn't you ever see great balls of fire? i always hear crap about woody allen. to be honest i don't think R. Kelly case has gotten as much news as those shocking moments.

NikkiVail said:

It hasn't because R Kelly isn't exactly of that global star status yet. He's a modern American R&B icon with 2 or 3 known hits elsewhere, mostly known for 'She's Got That Vibe' and 'I Believe I Can Fly'. Chocolate Factory seems to be his big breakthrough album worldwide, and any personal controversies are taking a backseat to the music for his media coverage. He's hardly being lynched, which is odd because there's so much hard evidence to say he did it.

Elvis didn't marry anybody who was 13. If you're talking about Priscilla, he waited until she was 18 and according to Priscilla, he wouldn't have sex with her until they were married.

Woody Allen didn't adopt Soon-Yi. She was already adopted my Mia Farrow and her previous husband whose last name was Previn (can't think of his first)

As for Robert Kelly, I never liked his music because it was too sexual for me and I definitely won't support him now, but I'm torn between the issue because even though he is the adult in the situation and has the ultimate responsibilty in this, I knew plenty of 14 year old girls when I was 14 doing things like that with other 14 year old boys. So, does that make it ok when a teenager is doing it with another teenager? Does this make the girl any less of a ho because she was with a grown man this time? When I was 14 I was calling these other girls hoes. I believe the blame lies on both sides, but since he's the adult he should know better. He has no business with a child, even if she is a ho. People should have stopped buying his music when he married Aaliyah

This is an ugly situation lol I bet the media won't get even if they saw Pamela Anderson sucking some negro's dick instead of Tommy Lee. They didn't give a frog's fat ass about Elvis nor Woody but you see them hounding on Mike, R.Kelly & O.J. Simpson.

Blame R.Kelly, but DON'T BLAME HIM ALONE thats all I have to say![/quote]


Mike Tyson is a convicted rapist

OJ Simpson is an alleged murderer

R Kelly is an alleged child molestor and possessor of child pornography



Elvis Presley DIDN'T marry Priscilla when she was 13 - you may be getting confused with Jerry Lee Lewis, who married his 13 year old cousin.

the R Kelly case has had bugger-all publicity down under.
Ignition is huge in the clubs... yet ppl give MJ shit when there ws no proof or videos which proved Mj was guilty.

isnt there a video tho which shows Mr Kelly in these acts?

i dont hate on R... some of his music is cool...
imjust being realistic tho.

Harlepolis said:

actually,there was a big deal about woody & sun li (or yi ?) back in the day...

Elvis married her when she hit 18.

i think she was like,15-16 when he met her in germany.

R.Kelly is Da King of Modern R&B.it's always about the music with any Artist period.nobody knows any of these Artists,Athletes&Other forms of Entertainers.we don't even know our own people that we are related to let alone folks we se on TV.but We Respect whatever they do Best.nobody is God to Judge we all are Human.I don't Condone certain things but I will always Buy R.Kelly's Music because it's on Point with me&My Ears period.

DavidEye said:

True, lots of ppl really do dig the album, but in this interview I disagree with how he regarded the "haters". I think that HE is the cause of his own problems. Even if there are haters out there (which there are), they didn't ask him to do dirty stuff with minors, did they? He's a grown man with his own mind. He chose to do what he did and was even stupid enough to let himself get caught by taping that shit! No doubt, I've been a fan of his music since the beginning, but he's still responsible for his actions. Only one he should blame is himself.

intha916 said:

Insatiable/Little Red Corvette, hmmm...

Anyway, R. Kelly's a criminal, period. So he can sing, big damn deal. He can sing "feelin on yo booty" in prison, make some new friends.

BTW, does R Kelly have a fetish for OLDER women too? What the hell does "Now it's like Murder she wrote, Once I get you out them clothes" mean? Does he have a secret crush on Angela Lansbury?

Joshy said:

Exactly! My buddy pointed this out the other day, and he's a fan of neither MJ or R.

People are basically brushing what R. did aside and continuing to support him, even though there are videos proving he's guilty. But a decade ago when the MJ thing blew up, ppl gave him shit right away, and neither his career or his public image ever recovered, despite there never (as far as the public knows) having been any solid evidence against MJ.

meow85 said:

I think the reason behind this could stem from what mistermaxxx said: "it's always about the music with any Artist period."

MJ hasn't had music that made anybody move in quite some time as compared to R. The question was posed to me "why do we want to listen to his (R. Kelly's) music?" This friend was no fan of his except for "Vibe", until she heard the Ignition Remix. It baffles me to no end.

NikkiVail said:

I am sooo over him. Its only the blind leading the blind now

DavidEye said:

no, if he goes to prison he will sell another million. Thats what makes me sick.

'Let's all stick togther and support one another'

Universaluv said:

I was thinkin the same thing!

kiss85 said:

I think he'll be ok in prison. He's probably got good connections who'll make sure no harm comes to him.