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In the aftermath of the #MeToo Movement, after decades of eluding sexual misconduct allegations, it’s looking like what’s left of the career of R. Kelly - the self-proclaimed “Pied Piper of R&B” - has finally come crashing down.
The #MuteRKelly campaign reached a fever pitch on Monday when women of color from within the Time’s Up movement officially joined the fray. In a blistering op-ed for The Root, they not only came for him, but also the multi-million dollar corporations and business entities that condone and remain complicit in his behavior.
Spearheaded by co-founders Kenyette Barnes and Oronike Odeleye, the #MuteRKelly campaign was launched to bring his 25-year reign of abuse, exploitation, and the suppression of women to an abrupt end. Since its inception, it’s derailed his career by having a direct hand in at least 10 of his concerts (and counting) being cancelled.
Initially, big name support behind this movement was scarce. In recent days, household names such as musician John Legend, television producer Shonda Rhimes, and filmmaker Ava DuVernay have publicly pledged their allegiance to the cause.
But with R. Kelly somehow still booking shows and remaining blissfully ignorant to these claims in the process, here’s how you can help take out the trash.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS/PITCHES:
The month of May covers Lupus Awareness. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that's rarely easy to diagnose, extremely challenging to treat and live with, and currently has no cure. We are encouraging people to gain a better understanding of this illness so we're accepting submissions/pitches from people who have it, and those who have family members/friends who've had it or currently living with it. True understanding opens the door for compassion and empathy and with any chronic illness, this is always necessary. This is what we hope to achieve with your stories.
May is also Mental Health Month. We already devote every Monday to mental health so of course we're going to acknowledge and highlight post for this throughout the month. As a country, we focus a lot on our physical appearance, leaving our mental health to fend for itself. However, there are some people who take it very seriously and maintain their mental health on a daily. We're interested in hearing what your support groups and selfcare look like, what your battles involve, and how we can all be more empathetic towards those living with mental illness.
Please send all pitches/submissions to submissions@theextraordinarynegroes.com by May 23, 2018.
We look forward to hearing from you!
