Commentary

COMMENTARY: The Hypocrisy Surrounding the R. Kelly Debate

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Where were all these Black women who now are pouncing on R. Kelly when all these booty-shaking videos were being made. And it is not just the fellas, you should see some of the girls who are making hyper-sexualized videos who portray themselves and other women as bithches and hoes and sex objects.”

Published

6 years ago

January 15, 2019

Oakland Post

By Raynard Jackson, NNPA Newswire Contributor

I usually don’t write about salacious issues involving sex, scandal, and other issues I consider a waste of time; but because of the volume of calls and emails asking me to give my take on Robert Kelly, a.k.a. R. Kelly, I will make an exception and share my thoughts.

I have worked in and around the entertainment industry for many decades. I don’t know, nor have I ever met Robert. We have many, many mutual friends and Kelly’s penchant for your girls have been known for decades.

While everyone is losing their damn minds over the Kelly situation, I don’t deal in emotion; I deal in facts. So, the fact is that I can’t allow the public and the hypocritical media to pile on a guy with no balance or context brought to the discussion.

Do I think Robert likes to have sex with young girls? Yes. Would I buy any of his music or go to one of his concerts? No. Do I think he should be in jail? ONLY if he is found guilty of a crime by a jury of his peers!

Before I go any further, I am putting the issue of statutory rape to the side for purposes of this column. Statutory rape basically means that a person under a certain age (it varies by state) cannot legally consent to engage in sex even if no coercion is involved.

The most overlooked point about the sexual allegations surrounding Kelly is that not one of the girls making accusations about him have accused him of rape!

Let me repeat, Robert Kelly has never been accused of raping any of his alleged victims. This is indeed very unusual for a person that is considered a sexual predator.

So, what does this mean? It means that despite what you think about Kelly’s proclivity for young girls, they all seem to be engaging with him freely and willingly, again putting aside the issue of statutory rape.

As so often is done in this internet age, people want to look at this situation in simplistic terms versus treating it as a very complicated issue with a lot of moving pieces. On this point only do I think Robert is most assuredly being treated unfairly!

A 14- or 16-year-old girl who goes to Kelly’s house or studio knows full well what they are getting into. His reputation is very well known. Yes, I concede that a 14- or 16-year old is easily manipulated, but so is an adult who is star-struck and only interested in fame and fortune.

Absent of rape, these women were willing to make a deal with the devil: Sex for fame and fortune. That’s the reality of the R. Kelly story, once of you strip the story of its salaciousness.

These women chose to get involved with Kelly no matter how much many of us think the decision was crazy.

The fact that a 14-year-old would decide to sneak around their parents and become involved with Kelly can lead an outside observer to question the home life of that child. The mere fact that a grown woman would get wrapped up with Kelly shows you the deleterious impact of all these hoochie-mama videos that even main stream R&B artists have produced. Yeah, the videos that many of you said, “were just videos.”

When you spend the last 30 years portraying women as sex objects through your movies, TV shows, and music videos, it is very easy to understand how these women can be easily taken advantage of.

Where were all these Black women who now are pouncing on R. Kelly when all these booty-shaking videos were being made. And it is not just the fellas, you should see some of the girls who are making hyper-sexualized videos who portray themselves and other women as bithches and hoes and sex objects.

You have women putting videos on YouTube of their 2- or 3-year-old daughters twerking and dropping it like it’s hot.

So, people like Lady Gaga, PLEASE spare me the sanctimonious symbolism of removing your duet with R. Kelly from your Spotify and other streaming sites.

She released the song, “Do What U Want (With My Body)” in 2013 and asked R. Kelly to sing on the song with her. She was damn well fully aware of Kelly’s reputation with young girls in 2013. Did anyone notice what she didn’t say regarding her song with Kelly?

She removed it from streaming services, but she made NO commitment to give back the millions and millions of dollars she made because of Kelly’s appearance on the song. What about the royalties she receives every time the song is played or someone purchases it? Kelly could very well be participating in the revenue stream from the song depending on what they each put in their contracts.

Because this whole controversy involves sex, lies and videotapes, people have lost sight of the bigger picture. Always follow the money. Everyone, and I mean everyone involved in the R. Kelly issue, has made money: the alleged victims (many have or are currently hocking books); many of the artists — who are suddenly condemning Kelly — have worked, toured, or appeared with Kelly — for pay; many mainstream media outlets have interviewed Kelly with the negotiated stipulation that the interviewer would not ask any questions about his sex life.

Kelly has never been convicted of any sexual crime, so it is hard for me to sit on the sidelines while he is being savagely criticized by the very same people who were his enablers because he was making them money.

This hypocrisy is going to turn Robert Kelly into a martyr.

Raynard Jackson is founder and chairman of Black Americans for a Better Future (BAFBF), a federally registered 527 Super PAC established to get more Blacks involved in the Republican Party. BAFBF focuses on the Black entrepreneur. For more information about BAFBF, visit www.bafbf.org. You can follow Raynard on Twitter @Raynard1223.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BlackPressUSA.com or the National Newspaper Publishers Association.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 25 – 31, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 25 – 31, 2024

Published

4 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Living His Legacy: The Late Oscar Wright’s “Village” Vows to Inherit Activist’s Commitment to Education

Kingmakers of Oakland (KOO), a nonprofit organization that works to improve educational and life outcomes for Black boys and men, stated that “Oscar Wright is one of the most prolific, consistent, and committed advocates of equity for Black students and Black Families here in Oakland for the past six decades.”

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Oscar Carl Wright, 101, who passed away on Nov. 18, was still involved in Oakland’s educational affairs until his death.

By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌, California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

Activists mourning Oscar Carl Wright’s death, have pledged to continue his lifelong mission of advocating for Black students and families in Northern California.

Wright, 101, who passed away on Nov. 18, was involved in Oakland’s educational affairs until his death.

Now, friends and admirers acknowledge that carrying on his legacy means doubling down on the unfinished work that Wright dedicated his life, time, and resources to, according to Y’Anad Burrell, a family friend and founder of San Francisco-based Glass House Communications (GHC).

“Mr. Wright did a lot of work around equity, specifically, for Black students based on their needs — whether it was tutoring, passing classes, or graduating,” Burrell said.

Wright became a champion for his children’s education, recognizing the disparities between their school experiences and his own upbringing in the Mississippi Delta.

Burrell told California Black Media (CBM) that the crisis of unequal access to resources and a quality education continues to affect the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD).

According to Oakland Reach, in the city of Oakland, only 3 in 10 Black and Brown students are reading at or above grade level. In addition, only 1 in 10 are doing math at or above grade level.

Oakland REACH is a parent-run, parent-led organization. It aims to empowers families from the most underserved communities to demand high-quality schools for their children.

Wright’s work as an activist had impact across the state but he was primarily known in the Bay Area. Alongside the Black United Front for Educational Reform (BUFER), he filed a complaint against OUSD for violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In 2000, the OUSD school board proposed an action plan to address educational inequity, but it was never implemented.

Wright later founded the African American Honor Roll Celebration at Acts Full Gospel Church, an award that recognizes Black students with a grade point average of 3.0 or better.  Each year, more than 1,000 students are honored at this ceremony.

Burrell said that one of the main reasons Wright’s work was so essential for families and children in Oakland that is the direct relationship between acquiring a quality education and affording quality housing, maintaining food security, achieving mental wellness, and securing stable employment.

Wright was the child of sharecroppers from Coahoma County, Mississippi. He attended Alcorn State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

In the late 1950s, Wright and his family relocated to the Bay Area where he worked as a contractor and civil engineer. He later became an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Burrell said the people who will carry on Wright’s work are part of a “village” that includes KOO’s CEO Chris Chatmon.  Wright was a mentor to Chatmon.

“It will not be one entity, one person, or one organization that picks up the baton because it was a village effort that worked alongside Mr. Wright for all these years,” Burrell said.

Burell says that legacy will live on.

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Protesters Gather in Oakland, Other City Halls, to Halt Encampment Sweeps

The coordinated protests on Tuesday in San Francisco, Oakland, Vallejo, Fresno, Los Angeles and Seattle, were hosted by Poor Magazine and Wood Street Commons, calling on cities to halt the sweeps and focus instead on building more housing.

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

The California Poor People’s Campaign’s Victoria King erected encampments for unhoused Oaklanders. Victoria King and her committee erected these emergency tents to symbolize the needs of unhoused Oaklanders. Photos by Post Staff.

By Post Staff

Houseless rights advocates gathered in Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other city halls across California and Washington state this week protesting increased sweeps that followed a U.S. Supreme Court decision over the summer.

“What we’re dealing with right now is a way to criminalize people who are dealing with poverty, who are not able to afford rent,” said rights advocate Junebug Kealoh, outside San Francisco City Hall.

“When someone is constantly swept, they are just shuffled and things get taken — it’s hard to stay on top of anything,” said Kealoh.

Local houseless advocates include Victoria King, who is a member of the coordinating committee of the California Poor People’s Campaign. She and Dr. Monica Cross co-chair the Laney Poor People’s Campaign.

The demonstrations came after a June Supreme Court ruling expanded local governments’ authority to fine and jail people for sleeping outside, even if no shelter is available. Gov. Gavin Newsom in California followed up with an order directing state agencies to crack down on encampments and urging local governments to do the same.

Fresno, Berkeley and a host of other cities implemented new rules, making it easier for local governments to clear sidewalk camps. In other cities, such as San Francisco, officials more aggressively enforced anti-camping laws already on the books.