Dear Russell Simmons
On behalf of the members and supporters of the National Black United Front (NBUF), we would like to say that we acknowledge your contributions to the advancement of the Hip Hop community and the business opportunities you have opened up for people of African descent in America.
However, after viewing the video on your website titled "Harriet Tubman Sex Tape", we at NBUF are disappointed in your decision to authorize such a video being made. The mistreatment of African women in America during slavery through contemporary times, is something that African men in particular and the entire African community as a whole, should take extremely serious. It is the responsibility of African men in America to respect and protect the integrity of African women in America, and not let the suffering that they have gone through be taken as a jest or used as folly.
As a result of slavery, African women in America have experienced rape, as well as sexual, emotional, spiritual, physical and verbal abuse, and continue to experience that today. We also acknowledge and accept your apology for the video. We feel that this is now a “teachable” moment and should be used for a greater understanding of the trauma that African women in America have endured. Therefore, we encourage you and other celebrities to use your influence as such. We recommend the book “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” by Harriet Ann Jacobs and the film “Sankofa” by Haile Gerima as tools that can help educate all people on the plight of African men and women in America.
We hope that this occurrence will lead to future productions of more positive images of Africans in America in the media. We have faith that you can help bring this to fruition.
Thank you for your time.
Brother Salim Adofo
National Vice Chairperson
National Black United Front
