Watch CBS News

Erykah Badu's Chene Park Concert To Benefit Rape Kit Testing

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - Erykah Badu is the latest celebrity supporting an effort to help get old rape kits tested in Detroit.

The Detroit Free Press reports Badu has partnered with The Right Productions to donate money from her upcoming Aug. 12 Detroit concert to the African American 490 Challenge.

The effort beginning last year urges black women to raise multiples of $490 — the cost of processing a single rape kit. The 490 Challenge is working with Enough SAID (Enough Sexual Assault In Detroit).

Shahida Mausi, president and CEO of The Right Productions, said the 490 Challenge would get $5 from each ticket for Badu's show and proceeds from two receptions with the singer-songwriter.

With state funding, Michigan and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office have tested more than 10,000 of the 11,341 kits that were found in a Detroit police property storage facility in 2009. Some of the sexual assaults occurred as far back as 1984. Testing has led to thousands of DNA matches and the identification of more than 549 serial rapists.

Dozens of offenders have been convicted as a result of the tests.

Tickets for the Erykah Badu concert, ranging in price from $41 to $100, are available through Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com or at the Chene Park box officer and via the Chene Park mobile app.

Learn more about the 490 Challenge or donate to the cause at this link.

TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.