Three nights of television recently rocked the black community when Lifetime detailed approximately three decades of well-known allegations of predation, exploitation, and abuse by R&B artist R.Kelly. Conversations and debates about the intense six-part series are still evolving, as people digest the stories shared by Kelly’s survivors.
Needless to say, like all communities, the Haitian community has been plagued with stories of men who prey on women and underage girls, and while the subject is taboo in our community, we can’t shy away from speaking on the subject.
Thank you to Haitian American Vanessa Beletic for being on time with this very powerful message.
“As a director, it’s sad how few projects come across my desk having to do with social issues. I just stopped to think about it. Exactly zero have come my way — until the one you’re about to watch here. The truth is, most artists won’t “go there” and take a stand or get vulnerable, especially when it comes to something as tough as sexual assault. But Aijia has done just that, writing “For You,” a song about speaking your truth against all odds.
So many of us are part of that statistic: one in three women will be sexually assaulted in their lives. That’s why conceiving this video was so important to me. I knew this could give voice to women in different stages of their process — the ones going through it or the ones standing by someone going through it.
It’s not my place to divulge the personal stories of the women in this video, and believe me, some of them are intense. Some of the women here are not survivors, but allies standing alongside their sisters in support. Some of the women in this video are survivors who are speaking up for the first time. By participating, they’re essentially “outing” themselves to their friends and families once it goes live. That’s brave.” Continue Reading on PopSugar
If you are a survivor of sexual assault and need help and resources, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE.
