Webster University holds public lecture on 'Surviving R Kelly'

Webster University Ghana on Thursday March 27, 2019 held its 13th public lecture with a special focus on the sexual abuse allegations levelled against embattled American RNB singer R Kelly.

The lecture on the topic; Celebrity, Complicity and Community: Making Sense of ‘Surviving R Kelly” saw the panelist deliberate on how celebrities usually get away with allegations of wrongdoings, the pop culture influences activities such as rape, violence, sexual abuse and the reaction by the black community.

In-depth analysis were offered into how the media has handled the saga and the possible lesson that can be derived from R Kelly’s legal battle.

Touching on claims by a section of the public that R Kelly is being haunted because of his race, a lecturer of the university, Erinn Ransom Ofori questioned why black media platforms are not offering alternatives to the narration by the supposed white media.

She argued that the black media whose major objective is to protect the interest of black people is not leading the conversation and highlighting R Kelly’s side of the story.

“I ask the question where is the black media, BET. People are saying R Kelly is being railroaded because he is a black man so where was the media to leave the conversation. There’s no doubt that there this phenomenon of Africa-American leaders or celebrities being lifted very high and then turned down very fast but the history isn’t new. And how will we develop the ability to hold more than one truth in our hands at one time”, she argued.

She wondered why the black community has kept silent on the topic and called on them to seize the opportunity to address some of the issues associated with the black race and demand accountability from R Kelly.

“So where was the black community to address the larger community issues of silence around sexual abuse. To address the vulnerabilities we premier and perpetuate for children adolescents. To deal with R Kelly as a a community. To demand accountability, justice and retribution”.