R Kelly’s recent indictment and his interview with Gayle King comes about one month after the release of Lifetime’s docuseries called “Surviving R Kelly.” The testimonies on the series touched my heart. I remember turning on my television to watch part one. Well into that episode my jaw was on the floor, tears were in my eyes, anger in my soul and my heart shredded with every word that the victims uttered. These victims are among the many victims who experience sexual abuse in our community everyday. The only difference is R Kelly is famous so their voices and testimonies are being televised. There are a lot of young black females who experience sexual assault and either no one knows or no one believes them because they are not valued in society.
Time and time again black females have been viewed as being loud, obnoxious and over sexualized. Gender and racial stereotypes play a major role as to why sexual abuse issues surrounding black females do not get taken seriously, not even in our own community. One thing in the docuseries that stood out like a sore thumb was the testimony of John Petrean, who was one of the jurors in R Kelly’s indictment on 21 counts of child pornography back in 2008. When asked why he voted in favor of R Kelly he said “I just didn’t believe the women.” He went further to explain “The way they dressed, the way they acted; I didn’t like them. I voted against them.” Unfortunately, his comment is a reflection of how many people, black and white, view sexual assault claims from black females.
Sexual assault is a big issue for all females but research shows that it is very prominent for black females. The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NISVS) conducted a survey called “National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey.” They discovered that 1 in 5 women have been a victim of rape and/or other sexual violence at some point in their lifetime. Approximately, 22% of Black females experience sexual violence at some point in their lives compared to 18.8% and 14.6% of their White and Hispanic counter parts, respectively. The survey also discovered that 42.2% of sexual assault amongst female victims happen before they are 17 years old; and 51.6% happen between the ages of 18 and 34 years old. The overlapping discoveries show that young black females are highly vulnerable to experience rape or some type of sexual violence at some point in their early life.
I have never experienced any type of sexual violence but I know quite a few females who have. I did not realize the trend until I started to get older and meet females who privately shared their stories; stories that no one else knew; stories that were hidden in plain sight and stories that no one did anything about. I commend Lifetime for giving R Kelly’s victims a platform to tell their stories. I also commend famous women, such as Oprah Winfrey, Gabrielle Union and Tiffany Hadish, who use their platform to share their stories of sexual abuse. They give the females who look like them, confidence that what they go through is not their fault and their voice deserves to be heard.
If you are reading this blog post, live in the New York Metro area, and you have been molested, raped or experienced any type of sexual violence, you too should be heard. Use the resources below to seek help. Having a safe haven to speak your truth and learn coping techniques can make all the difference in your life. If you have not experienced sexual abuse, but know someone who has, please pass on the information. We are our sister’s keepers.
Resources Geared Towards Black Females:
Urban Resource Institute (URI) provides life-saving, empowering social services for New Yorkers who are suffering and recovering from domestic violence. They help individuals and families escape abuse; safely heal; and gain the resources needed to live healthy, independent lives.
Black Women’s Blueprint work to place black women and girls’ lives as well as their particular struggles squarely within the context of the larger racial justice concerns of Black communities and are committed to building movements where gender matters in broader social justice organizing so that all members of our communities gain social, political and economic equity. They engage in progressive research, historical documentation, policy advocacy and organizing steeped in the struggles of Black women within their diverse communities and within dominant culture.
NO MORE is dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault by increasing awareness, inspiring action and fueling culture change. They are a groundbreaking, global initiative comprised of the largest coalition of nonprofits, corporations, government agencies, media, schools and individuals addressing domestic violence and sexual assault. No more work to amplify and grow the movement to stop and prevent domestic violence and sexual assault, in homes, schools, workplaces and communities around the world by creating innovative campaigns, partnerships and tools that leverage the power of the media, entertainment, sports, technology, and collective action.
INCITE! is a network of radical feminists of color organizing to end state violence and violence in our homes and communities.
Safe Horizon envisions a society free of family and community violence. They lead the way by empowering victims of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking to move from crisis to confidence. Safe Horizon is the nation’s leading victim assistance organization. Their mission is to provide support, prevent violence, and promote justice for victims of crime and abuse, their families and communities.
Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN) is the voice of all military women – past, present and future. They are a member-driven community network advocating for the individual and collective needs of service women. To date, SWAN has played a major role in shaping the outcome of many important issues effecting women in the service including holding sex offenders accountable.
Hotlines:
New York State Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Hotline……………………………..1-800-942-6906
Crime Victims Treatment Center…………………………………………………………………………..212-523-4728
National Sexual Assault Hotline……………………………………………………………………………..1-800-656-4673
New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault……………………………………………………1-800-942-6906
NYC District Attorney’s Crime/Special Victims Bureau……………………………………………212-335-9373
New York Police Department Sex Crimes Report Line……………………………………………212-267-7273
National Domestic Violence Hotline………………………………………………………………………1-800-799-7233
This is always tough. We as black women are often not allowed to be victims, be protected, and speak for ourselves. I wonder how much those statistics would change if more women felt safe and protected enough to speak out in the face on injustice.
I think it’s great that you’re speaking on this and providing resources for domestic violence victims. I experienced domestic violence as a young girl in high school. I just knew that I would die if I stayed with my high school boyfriend. I broke up with him at the end of my Senior Year and he stalked me the entire summer. I eventually left my hometown partly to get away from him. He eventually went on to murder two women, both were his wives at different time periods. I often believe that I was spared for a reason. I know God has a lot of work for me to do. Meeting and impacting the lives of amazing young women like you is one of those reasons. Keep doing such amazing work. I am proud of you. Keep blogging.