It’s going from bad to worse for R. Kelly. A torrential downpour of negative media about R. Kelly has accompanied his Black Panties album, including the imprudent #AskRKelly hashtag on Twitter and, worst of all, the explosive Village Voice exposé of R. Kelly’s repulsive perpetration of sexual violence and sodomy of a score of underaged girls.
Today, BK Nation, a non-profit organization founded by activist Kevin Powell, has created a petition calling for an end of support for R. Kelly’s singing career.
The Village Voice piece revealed horrific details of Kelly’s sexual abuse allegations proving that there was much more to the singer’s troubled past than previously rumored. As a result, Powell is calling on a boycott of Kelly, with a plea for black men to join the movement.
Here is part of what Powell wrote on Change.org:
We at BK NATION are calling on radio stations, video channels, music publications and websites, members of the entertainment industry, and men and women of all backgrounds to sign our petition COMPLETELY BOYCOTTING R. Kelly’s musical and artistic career until he is completely honest about who is, publicly apologizes for this behavior cited from many sources, gets extended counseling, and takes a very public stand and actions against sexual violence in any form.
Kevin Powell, president and cofounder of BK Nation, is especially asking men, including Black men, to join us in taking a very public stand against any form of sexual violence and assault against women, girls, and children. We at BK Nation believe that silence is this matter is agreement and support. And we believe that if we give R. Kelly a pass then we are also saying anyone who commits sexual violence, famous or not, should get a pass as well.
To read the petition in full, click here.
