Criminal justice reform is not anything new. However, since Kim Kardashian managed to persuade 45 to free Alice Marie Johnson from prison earlier this year, she's somehow started to receive credit for a fight she did not begin. When it comes to fighting for change with our criminal justice system, it's one that has long been led by strong Black women. It's time to put some "respeck" on the names of those bold, fierce and resilient Black women who've made it their responsibility to advocate against the system of oppression that is America's criminal justice system.
Some of these women have experienced prison firsthand, some have family members who were wrongly convicted, and some just decided to jump into the fight before Kim K presented her stance on the issue in 2018. Regardless, these Black women deserve some recognition for their dedication to reform the criminal justice system.
Here are five Black women who've been fighting criminal justice reform way before Kim got the credit: