Erykah Badu Donating To Help Rape Kits Get Tested

I know I usually keep things pretty lighthearted on my blog. Lots of boybands and stuff, but this is something pretty serious.

I love watching Law & Order: SVU and while I know it is a fictional TV show, it draws attention to some serious issues.

One thing brought up a lot on the show are rape kits. On the show, the NYPD keeps up their their rape kits and does not have a back log, however, that is not the case in many cities.

In 2009, 11,300 untested rape kits were found in an abandoned police warehouse in Michigan. That is appalling to me. The victims not getting answers, the perpetrators still on the loose.

Since that discovery in 2009, the African American 490 Challenge was started. This group raises money to get rape kits tested. It costs about $490 to test a rape kit, hence the name.

Now, singer Erykah Badu is pitching in the best way she knows how. She is donating proceeds from her August 12 concert in Detroit to the 490 Challenge. 490 Challenge will get $5 from every ticket purchased, plus the proceeds from both the pre-concert $100-per-ticket reception, and the $1,000-per-person VIP meet-and-greet.

490 Challenge President Kim Trent said, ""It should come as no surprise that an artist with Erykah Badu's impressive history of social consciousness would join forces with the black women leaders of Detroit to address this important social issue. We are very excited that she is lending her considerable talent to our cause."

Hopefully this will lead to some answers and most importantly, some convictions.