On January 18, 2019, Sony Records (parent company of RCA Records) finally dropped R. Kelly putting an end to their 25 year history of aiding in his exploitation of young Black girls. After years of public outcry and advocacy to #MuteRKelly, the calls intensified following Lifetime’s docuseries Surviving R. Kelly. The series was an undeniable investigation into his decades of sexual abuse perpetrated on young Black women and girls and those in the music industry who not only enabled him, but profited from him.

Days before Sony’s move, we proudly joined with our allies, Black Women’s Blueprint, Girls for Gender Equity, Color of Change, CREDO, and UltraViolet to protest their continued support of R. Kelly and their silence and complicity in his long history of abuse. At the protest, dubbed the “Rally to MuteRKelly/Protect Black Girls,” we delivered petitions signed by more than 217,000 people demanding RCA Records drop R. Kelly. We also presented Sony Music and RCA Records with a “Record Label of Shame” award.

R. Kelly is the music industry’s Harvey Weinstein. There’s no turning back. The reckoning has begun, and the music industry and it’s players–from producers, artists and company execs–are all now on notice. The abuse of Black women and girls must be taken seriously and not devalued and ignored.”

– Sonia Ossorio, President, NOW-NYC