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The Kemba movie is out now on BET+ streaming

February 22, 2024

The wait is over! The Kemba movie is now streaming on BET+ as of today.

While Black women comprise just 7.7% of the total U.S. population, they make up 29% of incarcerated women.

Black Enterprise writes: “[Kemba Smith, Leading with Conviction™ 2020] was a sheltered college student who had never gotten into any legal trouble and never sold or used drugs. She was, however, a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her boyfriend, Peter Hall. Despite her clean record, federal prosecutors charged her with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and in 1994, she was sentenced to nearly 25 years without the possibility of parole.

“Seven months pregnant, a victim of domestic violence, and a nonviolent drug offender, Smith’s case revealed the arbitrary and unjust character of federal mandatory sentencing guidelines that prevented federal judges from taking the unique circumstances of each accused individual into account, as noted by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

“The Legal Defense Fund (LDF) eventually got involved with Smith’s case after learning about the many injustices she suffered. In 2000, LDF successfully obtained clemency for Smith after she served six and a half years of her prison sentence.

“But even in the 24 years since her release, statistics show Black women are still incarcerated on drug charges at alarming rates. According to The Sentencing Project, the number of incarcerated women has risen 525% between 1980 and 2021.

“An April 2023 study credited the continued rise in the women’s prison population to ‘more expansive law enforcement efforts, stiffer drug sentencing laws, and post-conviction barriers to re-entry that uniquely affect women.’ The numbers are more staggering when looking at the population of Black women in prison. A 2020 census found that while Black women comprise just 7.7% of the total U.S. population and 15.3% of the population of women, they still make up 29% of incarcerated women.”

The film is also premiering this week at the Social Justice Now Film Festival, taking place Feb. 22-24 at Sony Pictures Entertainment’s studio lot in Culver City, CA.

Finally, the LDF has posted a lengthy and informative page about Kemba and her story.

Dear JLUSA.org Blog Reader, 

In our 10th anniversary year, JustLeadershipUSA’s work of educating, elevating, and empowering justice-impacted leaders continues and is growing even stronger!

We are preparing for our very special 10th anniversary gala in New York City on October 21st, and we would love for you to be there with us.

This is going to be a very special time to look back on the past decade of JLUSA’s important work, the 1,600+ leaders we have helped get to the next level in their work, and even more importantly, we will look ahead to the next 10 years and beyond!

We can’t do this without you. We need your support to help us continue to do this work now and into the future. By purchasing a $50 streaming ticket, you are saying to the amazing leaders in our network who represent the 70+ million Americans who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system, “I see you, and I support you!”

Please plan now to join us in person or give a one-time $100 gift or set up a recurring $10 monthly donation to celebrate JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, and together we will build a fair and just U.S. Thank you!

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