Filed under: News, Politics, Race and Civil Rights
What's interesting about the black community is that I wonder if our tolerance for pedophilia is higher than other communities. In light of the sex scandals of Bishop Eddie Long and the disturbing allegations against the singer R. Kelly, some might wonder if the black community has a unique way of being hush-hush when it comes to the possibility that some of our children might have been sexually abused. At the very least, we seem to have a short memory, since a lot of R. Kelly fans were more concerned about the quality of his next album than they were about the possibility that he might enjoy having sex with underage girls. One website, MadameNoire.com, took a rather telling stance on the R. Kelly issue. Rather than simply focusing on the release of his new album (which most people are talking about), they asked an interesting question: "Why is this pedophile free to make albums?"
While other news organizations have taken a more subtle approach to addressing the allegations against R. Kelly, it seems that Madame Noire (owned by Moguldom Media, the same group that owns Bossip), simply said what a lot of people were thinking. When I saw the shocking headline, I quietly wondered if the fact that R. Kelly was acquitted of his crime should make a difference when so many people internally believe that many of the allegations are true. Being found not guilty is not the same as being found innocent.
One thing I can say is that I was surprised by the way many of my female friends acted toward R. Kelly after the allegations came out against him. Their attention seemed more directly focused on the quality of Kelly's music and not the fact that he might be sleeping with young girls. In fact, I heard quite a few black women making excuses for Kelly, arguing that most artists have eccentric tendencies, that the girl chose to sleep with him or that they weren't concerned about what Kelly does in his personal life.
The responses of my female friends were disappointing and problematic in a world where there are so many voices against the disrespect women experience in hip hop and commercialized music. I was hoping that they would see the R. Kelly situation as an opportunity and rallying cry to save black girls from the legions of men who are seeking to harm them. In spite of my criticism of Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey for painting a skewed picture of sexual abuse in the black community (as if we are the only ones who do it), I can applaud the fact that they are at least putting these issues on the table for all of us to discuss. We can't be quiet at the family reunion if everyone knows that Uncle Billy slept with cousin Cindy when she was four years old.
When it comes to the situation with Bishop Eddie Long, the allegations are a reminder of how problematic behavior within the church is kept under wraps, as the congregation accepts pastor misbehavior as a simple spoil of power. While we can't say that Long is innocent or guilty, we do know that this kind of thing happens in churches across America, and there are people who know what's going on without saying a word. If we love our kids and want to protect them, we must speak up for what is right. I confess that deep down, I don't believe we've always done that.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.