#MuteRKelly Protestors Expected Outside of R. Kelly’s North Carolina Shows
In light of the recent sexual misconduct allegations surrounding R. Kelly, the veteran singer is scheduled to perform two concerts in North Carolina this weekend. At both shows, he will be greeted by protesters.
The self-proclaimed “King of R&B” will perform at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C., on Friday night (May 11) and at a “Pre Mother’s Day Bash” in Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday (May 12).
The Associated Press reports that community leaders and activists, who support the growing #MuteRKelly campaign, will be outside of the Greensboro Coliseum to protest Friday's show since it has not been canceled.
Brandi Collins-Calhoun, a director at the YWCA of Greensboro, sent a letter to the Greensboro Coliseum urging them to "do the right thing" by canceling the show and establishing “justice-centered policies and procedures” for future events.
The missive was also signed by eight other organizations, including North Carolina Black Women’s Roundtable, NARAL and Professional Black Girl.
Reps for the Greensboro Coliseum declined to comment on the letter or the protests.
As for Kelly's Raleigh show, there's no word if the R&B star will just appear or perform at the May 12 event at Level Night Club. A person working at the venue wouldn't answer questions about the event according to The News & Observer.
"R. Kelly doing a 'Pre Mother's Day Bash' is disgusting," said Omisade Burney Scott, one of the leaders of the #MuteRKelly protests in North Carolina.
She said that protesters will be at the club handing out flyers for Black Mamas Bail Out, a local organization that helps bail out incarcerated mothers. "We're telling people, rather than go to an event celebrating a known sexual predator, why not provide support to an organization that bails out black mothers?"
As the #MuteRKelly movement continues to grow, Spotify recently announced that R. Kelly's music has been removed from their editorial and algorithmic playlists. "His music will still be available on the service, but Spotify will not actively promote it," the streaming platform said in a statement.
In response, R. Kelly’s management criticized Spotify for responding to “false and unproven allegations” and added that other artists on their playlists have been accused or convicted of crimes. The singer's team calls Spotify's decision “shortsighted.”
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