R. Kelly conviction in the nine charges against him marked a significant moment in the Me Too movement for both black women and the music industry, and marked the beginning of justice being finally served.
The artist had a wide network of intermediaries around him, said federal prosecutors, from his closest confidants and associates to many in the music industry who were aware of concerns about his behavior but did not intervene.
The government drew attention to the so-called “Settlement Factory” which silenced its accusers by providing evidence of Mr Kelly’s payments to women who made allegations in exchange for their silence.
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And when that wasn’t enough, R. Kelly “used his henchmen to threaten and get revenge” by blackmailing women with nude photos of them or embarrassing information, Prosecutor Elizabeth Geddes said in concluding arguments.
federal prosecutors also accused Kelly of paying witnesses to fail to cooperate with the authorities leading up to his trial and his 2008 acquittal.They said the singer let some witnesses know that they could be “physically injured” if they continued.
Legal experts and those investigating sexual abuse have also suggested that race was likely to have played a role in most of Kelly’s accusers. ignored.
“Our reality is that our society just doesn’t see black women and girls as believable,” said Kenyette Barnes, co-founder of the #MuteRKelly campaign. “We assume that 15-year-old black girls have the cognitive ability to manipulate a grown man.”
And some superstars have admitted that race of prosecutors shaped their perception in the case of Mr. Kelly.
“I didn’t appreciate the prosecutor’s stories because they were black women,” said Chance the Rapper, who is from Chicago’s hometown, during the documentary series “Surviving R. Kelly”.
Some of the members of Mr.Solid supporters of Kelly continue to believe that he is the victim of a larger racist conspiracy to prevent successful black men from thriving, and that view was again widespread in black communities before his trial, experts say.
The cultural climate has also changed dramatically since the allegations against Mr. Kelly emerged. After pleading not guilty to the charges leading up to his trial in 2008, the singer performed with children at a church in Chicago that same day. He was hugged by the community.