No, You’re Not R. Kelly — But You Still Have Work to Do

Yes, there are monsters out there, and you’re not a monster. But if I’m in danger from a man, that man is more likely to be you than a megarich superstar.

Aliya S. King
LEVEL

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R. Kelly standing at a status hearing, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit
Photo: Antonio Perez /Getty Images

Update 6/7/22: Level has a new home. You can read this article and other new articles by visiting LEVELMAN.com.

LLast night, I watched the first two episodes of Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning, Lifetime’s latest docuseries about the disgraced R & B icon. What I already knew: He’s a monster. What I learned: He’s a monster far beyond what we could have even believed after last year’s original Surviving R. Kelly. (Allegedly.)

But I don’t want to write about R. Kelly. Yes, he’s in the news again, but I’d rather use this opportunity to think bigger when it comes to protecting women from sexual assault.

Because someone like R. Kelly is actually rare. This is a man with enough money, fame, and enablers to continue engaging his proclivities for decades. When it comes to sexual assault, the true danger for the typical woman (or man) is much, much closer.

The typical person who will commit sexual assault is — you. Yeah, you.

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Aliya S. King
LEVEL
Writer for

Aliya S. King is an author, freelance writer and editor.