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R. Kelly Release
R. Kelly Release
Contact:
Juli Grigsby
[email protected] or (310) 954-7351
Courtney Morris
[email protected] or (512) 826-6551
Austin, TX— Feminists of Color United (FOCU) will be hosting a teach-in and
demonstration in response to an appearance by R&B singer and alleged child pornographer,
R. Kelly at the Bass Concert Hall at the University of Texas at Austin. The teach-in, which
will address issues of sexual assault and violence against women of color, will be held on
Friday, Mar. 17 on the UT-Campus at the Center for African and African American Studies
from 5:30-7pm. At 7 p.m. teach-in participants will then march to the Bass Concert Hall and
hold an hour-long demonstration.
The decision to host a teach-in and demonstration came after a number of UT graduate
students realized that the Performing Arts Center had invited Kelly, who is currently up for
14 counts of child pornography in Illinois, to perform on campus. According to
MSNBC.com, Cook County prosecutors have a tape that shows the singer have sex with
a girl believed to be underage at the time of the recording. The acts are believed to have
occurred sometime between January 1998 and November 2000. Kelly was originally
charged with 21 counts, but several charges were later dismissed after the search that
yielded the incriminating evidence was ruled illegal. Kelly is also facing 12 counts of
possession of child pornography in Florida.
According to Juli Grigsby, a first year graduate student, the teach-in and demonstration
are designed to address issues that are larger than the R. Kelly case.
“This teach-in and protest will break the silence of sexual assault on women of color
in our communities as well as provide useful information on these issues,” Grigsby
said.
According to the event organizers and participants, the teach-in and demonstration are
designed to raise awareness around these issues and encourage people who will be attending
the performance to think twice about the politics of supporting misogynistic performers with
their money.
Courtney Morris, a first year graduate student, said that this demonstration is also about
holding the University accountable and encouraging administrators to think more critically
about supporting artists like Kelly.
“I am appalled that the University would even consider inviting someone who has so
blatantly exploited black women,” Morris said. “It is our hope that by holding the PAC
administration accountable, they will reconsider ever using money generated from our
student fees to bring artists like R. Kelly.”
For additional information contact Juli Grigsby at [email protected] or (310) 954-
7351 or Courtney Morris at [email protected] or (512) 826-6551.