Kim Kardashian has been making headlines as of late after reports said she is responsible for freeing 17 inmates in 90 days, but what hasn’t been highlighted are the Black women doing the work behind the effort.
That changed Tuesday when attorney Brittany K. Barnett, who along with fellow Black woman lawyer MiAngel Cody, established the 90 Days of Freedom Campaign, posted a lengthy post on Facebook that set the record straight.
Kardashian is involved in the project, having financially backed it, but Cody and Barnett have been putting in the groundwork to free 17 men who had been serving life in prison on federal drug cases.
“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,” Barnett’s post began. “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”. Our hands were full picking locks to human cages, we didn’t have time to participate in glorified begging from the nonprofit industrial complex only to be turned down.”
“Kim linked arms with us to support us when foundations turned us down,” Barnett continued. “We and our clients and their families have a lot of love for her and are deeply grateful for her. 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. Prosecutors opposed nearly every single case we had. We litigated our asses off in federal courts across the country. We won DOWNWARD DEPARTURES in most of our cases – due to good lawyering. People set to DIE in prison – are now FREE.”
Barnett went on to explain the clients she and Cody worked to free were not even included on a selective list issued by the U.S. Sentencing Commission, which is an agency established to address widespread disparity in federal sentencing. She also blasted the “drama” involved in the criminal justice reform arena.
Still, the lawyer is appreciative of Kardashian’s involvement in their efforts and blasted those who took aim at the reality star, who made headlines for helping get clemency granted for federally imprisoned great-grandmother Alice Johnson last year.
“We need Kim’s support and the support of anyone else who wants to join this fight,” she concluded. “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.”
In response, several commenters praised Barrett for her and Cody’s efforts.
“Brittany K. Barnett, actual facts and supreme truth. Your heart and works are monumental!”
“Amen, Now that’s Gangsta.”
“Keep doing what you good at .God put this fight on your heart Job well done.”
