Erykah Badu is joining forces with a sexual assault charity for her upcoming show at Detroit’s Chene Park Amphitheater.
According to reports, the “Window Seat” singer will be donating a large portion of ticket funds to the African American 490 Challenge (AA490), which aims to help identify rape victims and criminals. The proceeds will go specifically towards testing 11,300 discarded rape kits that were found abandoned in a Detroit police station in 2009.
“This is a huge day for AA490,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement. “Everyone knows that Erykah Badu is a major, major talent in the music and songwriting industry. For her to lend her name, talent and time to this work is nothing short of a miracle. Justice for these forgotten sexual assault victims has been given a phenomenal assist.”
The AA490 challenge – which takes its name from the cost of a single rape kit test ($490) – is partnering up with the Michigan Women’s Foundation and Enough SAID (Enough Sexual Assault in Detroit) for the project. According to Okayplayer, Badu will give the cause $5 from each ticket sale, plus extra proceeds from a $100-per-ticket reception and a $1,000-per-person VIP reception.
“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,” added Kim Trent, the president of the 490 Challenge. “We are very excited that she is lending her considerable talent to our cause.”
Learn more about the AA490 project here, or buy tickets to Erykah Badu’s Chene Park Amphitheater on August 12 here
