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Is she really putting in the work? The truth behind Kim K freeing inmates
This past week, reports of Kim Kardashian “quietly freeing inmates” over the past 90 days rubbed some people the wrong way.
The reality television star and mogul’s interest in law isn’t what’s shocking. She’s made it known that she was following the footsteps of her father by studying to become a lawyer.
Kim has even received kudos for her lobbying efforts by getting President Donald Trump to commute the life sentence of Alice Marie Johnson. Johnson was serving a life sentence on a nonviolent drug charge committed in 1996.
But it’s the latest headlines that have caused a stir because it, yet again, proves everything true of what many feel Kim K really is. A culture vulture and talentless fraud.
TMZ reported that Kim and her legal team helped 17 prisoners gain freedom over the last three months or so — each of them having served years of life sentences without parol for low-level drug offenses. But apparently, that’s not quite the case.
s/o @KimKardashian helping free those 17 inmates. That has to be respected. 💯
— 9 (@spiketeejoint) May 7, 2019
Kim K has helped free 17 inmates in the past 3 months. All were serving long term sentences for low level drug offenses. Some things you just can't hate on 🤷🏾♀️
— Dee wit the Dollaas 💋 (@DejaaVuu_) May 7, 2019
Kim Kardashian Quietly Helped Free 17 Inmates in 90 Days https://t.co/44XDNYgfAw
— TMZ (@TMZ) May 7, 2019
Kim K’s “team” is actually made up of two lawyers Brittany K. Barnett and MiAngel Cody. Both are two Black women that started a campaign called 90 Days of Freedom and brought Kim K on for funding.
The headlines are so misleading and reports so dismissing, that Barnett actually took time out to clarify. She wrote on her Facebook last week:
“The first and last time I will speak on it. Seriously, because the negativity from today is misdemeanor s*** and we still have lives to save. MiAngel Cody and I have BEEN doing this work for FREE. Ask any of our dozens of clients who are now free living their best lives. Both of us left six-figure salary jobs and wiped out our own savings accounts to fund our work. We attempted to get grants from these large foundations shelling out MILLIONS of dollars to other organizations but would not look our way because they so-called don’t fund ‘direct services’”
Barnett went on to say that Kim is majorly involved in the financial aspect. Plus, she is very grateful to work with the reality star. She said,
“Kim linked arms with us to support us when foundations turned us down. We and our clients and their families have a lot of love for her and are deeply grateful for her. Regardless of who helped fund us for the past three months, in 90 days, TWO black women lawyers freed SEVENTEEN people from LIFE W/O PAROLE sentences – the second most severe penalty permitted by law in America. Only two of us.”
She even went to Kim’s defense and said it’s the media’s fault, not hers.
“Kim has always been very clear in her role. It’s the media that spins it around – not Kim. We do not care how the media is portraying it – that’s what the media does. Who cares. We need Kim’s support and the support of anyone else who wants to join this fight. We love that she is using her platform to raise awareness. We ain’t trying to be famous, we trying to get our people free. Period.”
While her defense of Kim is fair, it still would’ve been nothing for Kim to come out and reappropriate the praise she was receiving. It falls along too well with behavior people have brought up about her and her families products all these years.
From stealing fashion looks to make-up platelets to receiving credit for bringing full lips and braids back in style, this is just the latest episode of the Kardashians being praised for things Black women have been doing for years.
For the record, Barnett and Cody have saved 37 lives from unfair sentences with The Buried Alive Project. FYI: That work has not received one headline. Funding is not the same as the actual legwork and paperwork it takes to make these things happen. People need to see the true faces bearing the burden, not the one writing the check.
Nonetheless, Kim’s intentions are honorable and it would not be able to happen without her. But credit should be given where credit is due.