His display of righteous indignation at the temerity of the intruder captivated viewers and Dodson's passionate diatribe immediately went viral thanks to his lyrical performance. Antoine, who interrupted the assault and grappled with the attacker until he fled through a window, addressed the camera with anger and flamboyance. The interloper had climbed on to the ledge underneath Kelly's window before sneaking in, jumping on her in bed and groping her.ĭescribing the incident, Kelly dismissed the assailant as "some idiot from the projects".
HIDE YOUR KIDS SONG TV
Elizabeth Gentle of WAFF TV interviewed Dodson's sister Kelly after she was attacked in her bedroom by an intruder. The story of how it happened is a modern fairytale combining issues of race, the media, music and the creative power of the web to transform the meaning of everyday events.ĭodson's remarkable ascent to internet stardom began with just another violent incident in Lincoln Park: a sexual assault on his sister, which the local television station chose to cover in its news round-up. This weekend he is a cult hero for millions of young followers, has struck a business deal with Apple and hopes to move his entire family into a more upmarket neighbourhood. Living with his parents, siblings, nieces and nephews in Lincoln Park, where opportunities were few and far between, Dodson had few prospects of escape from his bleak surroundings. Seven months later, a young African-American from the poorest part of the town has vindicated that decision in a fashion that the judges could never have anticipated.Ī week ago, Antoine Dodson was just another boy from "the projects", the run-down housing estates which are a feature of every American town and city. Huntsville, read the February citation, "offered cultural experiences different from the typical vacation destination". Earlier this year, the United States National Trust for Historic Preservation gave a special honour to the town of Huntsville, Alabama, naming it one of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2010.