Cyntoia Brown Granted Clemency

via theblast

Too often do we hear the unfair story of a white male getting off easy in the legal system as a result of economic imbalance and systematic racism. The story of Cyntoia Brown, the woman of color who was punished with 15 years of imprisonment for killing her sex trafficking attacker is just one of many corrupt American tales. The tale that reiterates that the American justice system is anything but— especially  when cash bail is an option only afforded to the rich and there are men such as Brock Turner running around free.

via ebony

At 16 years old, Cyntoia murdered the 43 year old man who was holding her hostage in a child sex trafficking ring. Serving a sentence for first degree murder, Brown, now 30 years old, has spent half of her life behind bars. Her story garnered national attention from activists, and celebrities such as Rihanna, Kehlani, Kim Kardashian, Ashley Judd and more. In 2011, PBS produced a documentary centering on her life and sentence, titled: Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story.

According to the HuffPost, on Monday Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam granted Brown clemency for her life sentence, making her eligible for release in early August. This comes as a direct result of the Supreme Court decision to jail Brown for 51 years, making her 67 years old before being eligible for release. This was a sentence Haslam commented as “too harsh”.

via the today show

When celebrities voice their stance in the legal outcomes of those who do not have the support and finances to defend themselves, what does that say about our own judicial system? This isn’t the first time celebrities have taken matters into their own hands. Who could forget Kim Kardashian’s meeting with President Trump to fight for Alice Johnson’s freedom?

So just when did the responsibility of a fair justice system leave the courtroom and enter pop culture’s Twitter feed? Well, you could say this is exactly what we want. Social media provides platforms typically reserved for entertainment spirals, that, within recent years has produced hashtags such as #bringbackourgirls #heforshe #metoo and others that address political and societal issues that raise awareness and draws support within mere minutes. It forces change on a grander scale as it reaches nearly every corner of the Internet and globe. A trending topic, turned conversation piece, news report and eventually a physical movement. It could be said that social media is a response to the lack of action and availability to be heard by the systems and structures meant to protect and serve us. While we use social media to stalk our ex- and potential lovers and drool over the lives of celebrities, lets not forget about the power of social media to connect and also protect us. We also can't forget, that it can also destroy us.