This research will explore the notion that black women grow up learning that it’s our job to defend black men, even if they’re misogynistic or abusive to black girls, as a twisted definition of racial solidarity. The black community is so used to supporting black men due to police brutality, gun violence, and overall racism that it has become natural to rally behind them and feel like they need our protection, completely ignoring the innocence being taken away from black girls as victims of abuse. I will be referencing the cases of R. Kelly, using information from the “Surviving R. Kelly” documentary, court cases, articles, interviews, and social media comments. I anticipate that I will find a large population of black women choosing to support abusers like R. Kelly because they feel like the media is trying to set him up, the victims were “too fast”, or because they would feel guilty as if they’re letting the black community down for speaking against this black man who has made black music for black people for decades. Overall, it will become clear that the protection of guilty black men is more important than the protection of innocent black girls.
