The Guardian

Surviving R Kelly is a watershed moment for women of colour | Chelsea Fuller

This remarkable docuseries has reached people who may never have thought about the lives of girls in Chicago and Atlanta
‘The responses from women of colour range from being happy that people are finally seeing the severity of R Kelly’s alleged crimes, to feeling that the series failed by not focusing on the survivors’ healing.’ Photograph: Scott Legato/Getty Images

It’s been several days since the Surviving R Kelly docuseries began on 3 January, reaching a channel record of 1.9 million viewers – and the hashtag is still trending. Conversations and debates about Lifetime’s intense six-part series are still evolving, as people digest the stories shared by Kelly’s survivors. And on Tuesday, news broke that investigators are looking into allegations in both Chicago and Atlanta as a result of the series.

One could assume that the reason for the series’ success is a combination of good promotion, curiosity, outrage and excitement. But for many women, particularly

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Guardian

The Guardian4 min read
‘Everyone Owns At Least One Pair’: $75bn Sneaker Industry Unboxed In Gold Coast Exhibition
What was the world’s first sneaker? Was it made in the 1830s, when the UK’s Liverpool Rubber Company fused canvas tops to rubber soles, creating beach footwear for the Victorian middle class? Or was it a few decades later, about 1870, with the invent
The Guardian4 min read
Lawn And Order: The Evergreen Appeal Of Grass-cutting In Video Games
Jessica used to come for tea on Tuesdays, and all she wanted to do was cut grass. Every week, we’d click The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker’s miniature disc into my GameCube and she’d ready her sword. Because she was a couple of years younger than m
The Guardian4 min read
‘Almost Like Election Night’: Behind The Scenes Of Spotify Wrapped
There’s a flurry of activities inside Spotify’s New York City’s offices in the Financial District. “It’s almost like election night,” Louisa Ferguson, Spotify’s global head of marketing experience says, referring to a bustling newsroom. At the same t

Related