The proceeds from Erykah Badu's upcoming Detroit concert will benefit a nonprofit that tests the city's backlog of rape kits, the Detroit Free Press reports. Five dollars from each ticket sold for Badu's August 12 performance at the Chene Park Amphitheater will go to the African-American 490 Challenge, which raises money to test the 11,000 abandoned rape kits found in a Detroit police warehouse in 2009.
Each test costs $490. Badu will also donate the proceeds from the concert's $100 "pre-show reception" and $1,000 "VIP reception" to the campaign. According to Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy, this is a "phenomenal assist" to the cause. Unfortunately Detroit isn't alone in its backlog. Across the country, there are tens of thousands of untested rape kits across the United States.
Thanks Erykah, this is badass!