Should Black Women Still Justify The Wrong Doings of Black Men?
Since the release of Lifetime’s six-part docuseries of Surviving R. Kelly, which detailed the many sexual assault and abuse allegations against him, and reignited focus on the singer. Outrage poured with wanting justice for the girls while others defended his actions.
I love you. Unconditionally.
That doesn’t mean I support your poor choices.
I want healing for you and anyone you have hurt as a result of you being hurt. Is that strange to you ?
That’s all I’ve ever said. Anything else has been fabricated or taken out of context.
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) January 21, 2019
Rising up on the chopping block are two women who have helped to make an impact in the Black community and in Hollywood – Taraji P. Henson and Erykah Badu. Both of these women have been criticized for what seems to be defending R. Kelly.
Badu made controversial statements during a performance in Chicago, telling the audience that she was “putting up a pray right now for R,” TMZ reports. The crowd booed in response to her remarks. Erykah tweeted to clarify her comments.
“I love you. Unconditionally. That doesn’t mean I support your poor choices,” she wrote. “I want healing for you and anyone you have hurt as a result of you being hurt. Is that strange to you? That’s all I’ve ever said. Anything else has been fabricated or taken out of context.”
I recorded in case she deletes. But girl. Is Weinstein making music? I know she's smarter than this pic.twitter.com/7DGyQfDwAk
— Bri The Undead (@aprettyPR) January 22, 2019
Taraji P. Henson was criticized for comparing the use of the MuteRKelly hashtag to MuteWeinstein and MuteHarveyWeinstein. In her since-deleted Instagram story. The actress pointed out the lack of posts calling for the muting of disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein – who is set to stand trial in May for sexual assault allegations against him.
Henson has also taken to Twitter to clarify her comments as well. “LET ME BE CLEAR R. KELLY IS GUILTY AND WRONG AND SHOULD BE MUTED PERIOD!!!!!”
Many people have expressed their disappointment in Taraji and Erykah as well as others who have defended R. Kelly. A common point their arguments mention how Black girls and women aren’t protected enough in this country and aren’t taken seriously when something happens to them.
LET ME BE CLEAR R. KELLY IS GUILTY AND WRONG AND SHOULD BE MUTED PERIOD!!!!! 💋💋💋
— Taraji P. Henson (@TherealTaraji) January 22, 2019
A popular user on Twitter (@kimmaytube) made a thread discussing Erykah and Taraji’s antics citing, “I come from a generation of black women who believe that black men must be defended & protected *at all costs*.” She explains that Generation X and Baby Boomers were taught to be race loyal and that they are the reason why the current group of black men are trifling.
I come from a generation of black women who believe that black men must be defended & protected *at all costs*.
Even if you must be their human shields.
I gradually divested from this mentality and am happy to say I think I'm nearly purged.
— Kim Love (@kimmaytube) January 22, 2019
I'm just providing context for the younger generation that may not understand why these women are putting their careers on the line to defend trash black men.
Our conditioning is deep.
Decades deep.
— Kim Love (@kimmaytube) January 22, 2019
To be perfectly honest?
Collectively, we are the reason the current crop of black men are disproportionately trifling as hell.
The past two older generations, oldest #GenX & entire group of the #BabyBoomers raised them.
We were race loyal, long after black men began to exit.
— Kim Love (@kimmaytube) January 22, 2019
Kim continues further by stating that even though Gen X and Baby Boomers weren’t the first, however, they helped to normalize “man-sharing” and baby daddies. They believed that having a piece of a black man was better than not having one at all. They raised their daughters and sons completely different. “As a result young black women literally outnumber black men in general, but also as providers.”
Kim ends her thread with telling the younger generations to “learn from their mistakes, invest into themselves and to stop trying to unilaterally save a community.”
Do you feel that Black women coddle Black men?
Although we weren't the first, we normalized "man-sharing" and baby daddies.
A piece of a *black* man was better than *no* man at all.
They raised their daughters & loved their sons.
As a result, young black women literally outnumber black men in general, but also as provider
— Kim Love (@kimmaytube) January 22, 2019
So you have to understand the mentality of many black women over the age 40.
They've bet *everything* on black men.
That's a *lifetime* invested in them.
Learn from their mistakes.
Invest in yourself.
Stop trying to unilaterally save a community. It's simply not possible.
— Kim Love (@kimmaytube) January 22, 2019