The Actions and Reactions to R. Kelly
By Doris AC Johnson MA of Psy, ABA
I had to be quiet and sit down with myself before I could even begin to approach this one. And like any other time, I have to speak from a voice of reason. You will have to excuse me because I am caught in between being subjective and objective. So, I will make it easy on myself and be both. It is a reeeeeallll conundrum.
I remember when I heard his first song back in about 1993. I was in love with his music upon impact. And I will be honest…I thought he was cute too. I went from buying his tapes to buying his compact disks to streaming his music. (but I never watched the sex tape) I thought nothing of it when Aaliyah emerged on the scene. I loved and still love her music. A year later, it was rumored and written that he married the fifteen-year-old singer/actress in 1994. He was twenty-seven years old at that time. Being young and quite naïve myself, I did not view him as a predator at that time. Nor did I equate the title of her debut album Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number with his behavior, feelings, and intentions. And please be certain that I am not attempting to defame, assassinate the character, or tarnish the name of the late, ultra-talented, beautiful Aaliyah. Not at all. Moving forward…I say these things to paint a brief picture of R. Kelly.
Just as his Grammy awards were not rescinded or revoked…I will not bury my views on his contribution to the music industry. I have heard this man sing opera!
I hold no hatred towards this man. He too is one of God’s children. What he did was despicable! Dare I say…quite disturbing. I hate that I will have to remember him this way. What he did could have very well been born from a cycle of abuse. And maybe the people who were supposed to help him were the ones who hurt him. I only mention these things out of fairness if it should exist in the matter.
I have read books, and articles and heard personal accounts of outrage containing lucid images of portrayals of his actions.
The point is this…let’s look at some of these parents and family members of these victims. What role did some of them play in the relationship between these young women and the one young man (that came forward recently)? I have three daughters, and nothing could have stopped me from looking and going to my child… yielding at nothing other than Jesus holding up a stop sign in my face. Then and only then would l have aborted the search. Should R. Kelly be buried under the jail? Yes…in my opinion. And I would love to hear yours.
I get it…these young people probably had stars in their eyes and were hopeful that they too would become musical superstars. But who of the parents may have had the same wish going so far as to sell their child into his custody? Yes, sell their child into his custody at all costs. On that note (which many of you probably sing too) I say that his family failed him, and many of the victim’s family failed THEM.
