‘Surviving R. Kelly’ filmmaker dream hampton joins MOCAD board of directors

Dream hampton, the Detroit native and filmmaker behind Lifetime’s impactful and award-winning documentary series Surviving R. Kelly, will join the board of directors of the Museum of Contemporary Arts Detroit.
According to a press release from the museum, hampton will be “bringing her social justice-oriented perspective to the museum’s executive lineup.”

The announcement follows a number of overhauls at the museum after dozens of employees came forward alleging a toxic workplace last year, including allegations of racism. MOCAD has since pledged sweeping reforms, including rehiring several employees, naming Laura Hughes as interim director, and making commitments to Indigenous artists.

In 2019, hampton’s Surviving R. Kelly helped reignite public awareness of the sexual assault allegations from dozens of women against the singer, who was briefly married to the Detroit star Aaliyah when she was a minor. As a result of the documentary, Kelly was dropped from his label and was arrested after a federal agent said they were inspired to investigate the claims made in the series. Kelly has since been sentenced to prison for federal counts including child pornography, kidnapping, and forced labor.

Surviving R. Kelly earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Informational Series or Special and won a Peabody Award, and hampton was honored as one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2019.

Detroit techno producer Derrick May, who faces sexual assault allegations, resigned from MOCAD’s board of directors in 2020.