You know her, you (may or may not) love her, the one and only Kim Kardashian-West ladies and gents. But, she is so much more than a social media queen and a reality star. Kim K has actually been pretty politically active recently. But why and how? What could Kim K possibly be doing politically?
Well after the political spotlight landed on the Kardashian-West household following the Kanye (Ye?) controversy, the couples political actions have become more of a mainstream conversation. Kim Kardashian-West seems to have very different political opinions then her husband does.
Back in 2015, Kim K posted a selfie on Twitter with Hillary Clinton, seemingly announcing her support for Clinton's campaign for the presidency. Later in October of 2016, her endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president. She has posted about the Obamas and going to March for our Lives. But, the most recent of Kim K's political activity came out when she visited President Donald Trump in 2018. He posted about it on his twitter thanking her for coming and discussing prison reform and sentencing. Kim K has actually advocated for clemency and commuted sentences for a few people, two of whom became high-profile cases.
Cyntoia Brown caught the attention of the media with her extremely sad story. When she was 16 years old, she was sold and solicited for sex. She was abused and used for sex repeatedly. In an attempt to escape, she killed the man who "owned" her. Despite her killing the man out of self-defense, she was tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in the year 2055 (about 51 years after sentencing). The story got national (if not international) attention. A few celebrities actually took it upon themselves to intervene and either have her sentence reviewed or for the governor to grant her clemency. Kim K was among the few who spoke out in support of Brown. After the publicity Kim K was able to get the case, Cyntoia Brown was actually granted clemency and is being released later on in the year!
Alice Marie Johnson was arrested and sentenced in 1996 for a nonviolent drug crime as a first offender. She was sentenced to LIFE in prison. Kim K found out about Alice Marie Johnson's case through a video that went viral online featuring Johnson herself telling her story, a story about how she just messed up and was desperate for money to support her family. Kim K felt drawn to the case and actually brought it to the attention of President Trump. The President ultimately contradicted his administration's harsh stance on drugs and drug crimes by granting clemency Alice Marie Johnson, one step short of pardoning her. President Trump even received criticism from people inside his administration who did not believe the sentence was too harsh for a first time nonviolent drug offense.
I must admit before I knew she was politically engaged, I did not pay attention to Mrs.Kardashian-West. But, she has been using her platform to help people and bring attention to issues that she finds important. It's truly wonderful to see celebrities now using their platforms to speak about things they find important. I hope Kim K keeps speaking her mind and standing up for people who don't have access to what she does. It's inspiring.
