Chanting, "What are we gonna do? Mute R. Kelly! When are we gonna do it? Now!" protesters marched from the Wayne County SAFE office on Second Avenue in Detroit to Little Caesars Arena to voice their opposition to the R&B singer.
Kalimah Johnson, founder and executive director of Detroit's SASHA Center and co-organizer of the #MuteRKelly protest in Detroit, carried the bullhorn, leading the chants, saying the stage is no place for a performer like Kelly, who has a long history of allegations of sexual misconduct involving young girls and women.
"We love Uncle Charlie, but not R. Kelly!" she said, referencing Charlie Wilson, who performed along with Kelly on Wednesday night in Detroit. A crowd of about 25 protesters echoed her chants while concertgoers entered the arena.
Jazmine Middlebrook, 19, of Detroit carried a banner that said, "The most unprotected person in America is the black woman." She said she came out to protest rape culture in Detroit, and opposes Kelly.
"I think he's a rapist and a loser and he's gotten away with it for too long," she said.
Fans of Wilson and Kelly walked past the protesters and into the arena without incident. One muttered, "If you rip my ticket, I'll beat your ass."
Concertgoer Tina Bostic looked frazzled as she entered the arena.
"I feel bad now," she said, "but I'm still going."
Dorothy Bennett of Grosse Pointe Woods said she was there to see Charlie Wilson, and that R. Kelly was just a bonus.
"We support who we want, and they have a right to protest," she said. "He's been tried and wasn't convicted."
Lore Rogers, 61, of Whitmore Lake said protesting this concert was a way to acknowledge the trauma and lives of black girls and women who've been sexually assaulted.
"If Harvey Weinstein is out of business, R. Kelly should be out of business," she said.
Johnson and protest co-organizer Nicole Denson, associate director of Wayne County SAFE, explained at a news conference Wednesday afternoon that their campaign goes far deeper than protesting one singer, outside one concert.
It's about starting a conversation about rape culture. It's about showing that they value black girls and women. It's about taking a stand against sexual violence.
"We know that there are several conversations that we have to have around this issue of muting R. Kelly," said Johnson. SASHA Center "One is in the African-American community, are we talking about sexual assault? The answer is no, we're not talking about it enough.
"No. 2, one of the things that we've done in our families is protect perpetrators because we don't trust the criminal justice system. We protect people who are talented. No one is saying he doesn't have hit records and he can't sing. But what he does have is a problematic history with underage black girls, particularly. Black girls do matter, and black girls do have a voice and black girls need more visibility around sexual abuse and assault, and that's why we're here. We're here to have that conversation.
"But we're also here to challenge folks. If you have a concert ticket tonight, tear it up. Rip the ticket. Don't go. Do not go to a concert where they are harboring a known person who has had inappropriate behavior with underage black girls."
The inappropriate behavior Johnson references spans decades, and includes sexual misconduct allegations involving underage girls and young women — including a relationship with Detroit's own Aaliyah, who was 15 years old when she married a 27-year-old Kelly in 1994 in Cook County, Ill. It was a union both singers denied and her family reportedly had annulled months later.
A jury acquitted him in 2008 in a child pornography case. The evidence in that case was a 2002 video that allegedly showed Kelly performing sex acts with an underage girl. A 2017 Buzzfeed story reported that Kelly rented homes in Atlanta and Chicago for groups of women who perform sexual favors that are videotaped, and where Kelly dictates their every move, including what they can wear and when they can eat, bathe and sleep.
Kelly has maintained his innocence. Several lawsuits have been settled out of court with female accusers; he has never been found guilty of any charges related to sexual harassment or assault.
This is the second concert to spark protests in the brief five-month life of Little Caesars Arena. Kid Rock's arena-opening show in September drew about 200 demonstrators, who cited the Michigan rocker's past use of the Confederate flag and called his concert an insult to Detroit.
As the anchor of the Ilitch organization's ongoing District Detroit development, the arena has also faced public demonstrations by preservationists aiming to protect nearby buildings.
Detroit has long been one of the strongest markets for the Chicago-born Kelly. His shows here have included multiple-night stands, New Year's Eve performances and a Comerica Park headlining concert in 2004. In August, he sold out the 6,000-capacity Chene Park, drawing just a handful of protesters to the grounds outside the venue.
Denson said even though the turnout was small, their advocacy efforts were worth it.
"We're making an impact," she said.
"I feel like we are making an impact and I feel like I want my daughter to have a different story and a different path than I had to living here in the city of Detroit. I have dreams for that, and I know that even tonight won't be the last time that we come together as #MuteRKelly Detroit.
"I hope we can turn this into getting resources for survivors because many of the survivors I see in my office every day do not have homes to go to. They are dealing with substance abuse issues. I really feel that even though the 11,000 rape kits were tested, their lives are forever impacted. We need to remember that. We need help. We need help. And so I'm asking the nation, if you hear this, help our sexual assault survivors here in Detroit. It is long overdue. We need you. SASHA Center needs you. Wayne County SAFE needs you. I need you."
Johnson said Denson and their supporters have started with R. Kelly, but they won't stop until the misogyny in hip-hop and throughout the music industry is addressed.
"I'll get to them," she said. "We're not picking one issue over the other, but we believe this has to start somewhere."
