Activists from the #MeToo movement, along with Time’s Up and the National Women’s Law Center, spoke in support of black sexual assault survivors in light of allegations made against rapper Clifford “TI” Harris and his wife, singer Tameka “Tiny” Harris .
The scandal involving the rapper and former member of the female group broke out over several weeks, as women reportedly came forward to accuse the powerful couple of confiscating their cell phones and avoiding going out when the Harris sexually assaulted them, or other women, in forced drug drinking.
This led activists to address the issue, showing how black survivors are often marginalized and their stories ignored in the national calculation of MeToo in America because of sexual assault.
“We know that countless of you have presented credible charges of horrific sexual abuse and violence at the hands of black celebrities,” the activists and groups wrote in a public letter. “Like you, we carry the emotional weight of this news and we know that we are reliving a collective trauma similar to the exposure of Cosby and R Kelly.”
The letter from activists #MeToo, NWLC and Time’s Up also berates American media organizations for not specifically covering black sexual abuse survivors. “This tendency to ignore, mock, challenge and discredit the stories of black survivors is an attempt to compel us to silence and, also, it is an act of violence”, he says.
He adds: “The level of violence that has occurred against black survivors for so long requires stories and headlines that centralize them in all media.”
The complaints against the Harris came in January after stylist Sabrina Peterson, a former friend of the couple, posted a shocking statement that the rapper once pointed a gun at her during a fight with his wife and another client.
Tameka Harris immediately countered the charges, rejecting the beauty owner’s claim. Peterson claimed to have taken a polygraph test to verify his history.
At least one woman hired attorney Lisa Bloom. The lawyer confirmed that the woman is willing to speak out against TI and Tiny, considered hip-hop royalty in Atlanta. So far, the alleged victim remains unidentified.
“We are with her. The music industry has long been expected to assess how women, especially black women, are humiliated and abused, ”Bloom said in an Instagram post, adding,“ Enough is enough. “
Peterson claimed that several women came to her to share stories of their own encounters with the couple and a host of their celebrity friends. Sharing only screenshots, Peterson noted that most of the response detailed what she called patterns of sexual abuse.
The Harris released a statement to Complex magazine, recognizing that while their romantic life may be unconventional, they vehemently deny any wrongdoing.
“They emphatically deny in the strongest possible way the blatantly terrible charges being brought against them,” the statement said.
Representatives of the couple confirmed to Complex magazine that they had taken legal action against Peterson and others.
Requests for comments to Peterson, Harris and Bloom were not returned.