Reminder: Kim Kardashian Sought Justice For One Person. Hundreds Of Thousands Are Still Stuck.
Imagine if she used her privilege to push for prison reform.
Alice Marie Johnson, who was pardoned by President Trump this week after relentless activism by Kim Kardashian, should not have been in prison. Like millions of disenfranchised Americans who committed low-level drug crimes, Alice Marie Johnson was sentenced unfairly as part of a generation-long failed effort to discourage drug use. Kim Kardashian leveraged her wealth and power to achieve justice for Alice—a worthy cause, no doubt. But there are millions of people of color in the same boat (and by boat, I mean prison). Alice is free. They are not.
Ninety-nine point nine percent of the people behind bars for low-level drug crimes don't become the subject of viral videos. One of every 115 Americans is in prison right now, and 40 percent of imprisoned Americans are considered no threat to public safety, according to a TIME investigation. Kim Kardashian made Alice the face of this issue, but unless Kim uses her own privilege to help everybody else in Alice's position, she has made little credible change.
Don't get me wrong: Kim Kardashian was courageous and persistent in her efforts to free Alice. Not only did she rescue Alice from the clutches of a flawed criminal justice system, she also brought awareness to an issue not well-understood by many Americans. Alice deserved to be released long ago, and Kim deserves credit for making that happen.
But this is a victory for Alice alone, not the cause as a whole. Kim's official statement on Alice's release only gave a passing nod to the hundreds of thousands in her position:
So grateful to @realDonaldTrump, Jared Kushner & to everyone who has showed compassion & contributed countless hours to this important moment for Ms. Alice Marie Johnson. Her commutation is inspirational & gives hope to so many others who are also deserving of a second chance.June 6, 2018
The risk is that Kim, and the rest of us, will consider this a victory and move on. Kim understands that her own privilege enables her to right wrongs—but if she hand-picks the subjects of her privilege without investing her considerable resources in the people whose stories she will never hear about, then Kim IS part of the problem.
It's worth mentioning the Donda's House debacle here. When Kanye West's mother, Donda West, passed away unexpectedly in 2007, Kanye co-founded a charity designed to mentor underprivileged young people (the very population, in fact, at risk of finding themselves in Alice's situation). Last week, after Kanye was accused by his ex-friend Rhymefest of no longer being involved in Donda's House, Kim leapt to her husband's defense. "You better believe I will make it my mission to take Donda’s House from you and let my children run it the way it should be run!" she wrote on Twitter.
Kim probably meant that the charity in Donda's name should be run by Donda's grandchildren, but the degree of her privilege is striking. When Kim threatens to "take from you" a charity, you better believe that Kim is able to—the woman is worth $175 million. When Kim swears she'll hand her children the reins of an organization, it stings of nepotism: Kim's kids, after all, have grown up with privilege and can't understand what Rhymefest and Kanye experienced in Chicago that led them to start Donda's House. If Kim uses her power to gain ownership of a charity and ultimately put it in the hands of people who have limited understanding of the community it intends to serve, she'll have once again become part of the problem: Ensuring our structures and institutions continue to be managed by the powerful and privileged.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
But also of note is Kim's follow-up tweet about Alice's release, which suggests she has some understanding of this.
I hope to continue this important work by working together with organizations who have been fighting this fight for much longer than I have and deserve the recognition.June 6, 2018
It's anyone's guess what's next for Kim. This much is clear: Whether your privilege comes down to whiteness, wealth, influence, being able-bodied, or something else entirely, there are responsible and irresponsible ways to use it. You shouldn't cherry-pick one person to save if the issue is systemic. You cannot advocate for certain victims and bypass others.
If you don't do that, you're doing nothing to change the power structures that you purport to fight.
RELATED STORY
Jenny is the Digital Director at Marie Claire. A graduate of Leeds University, and a native of London, she moved to New York in 2012 to attend the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She was the first intern at Bustle when it launched in 2013, and spent five years building out its news and politics department. In 2018 she joined Marie Claire, where she held the roles of Deputy Digital Editor and Director of Content Strategy before becoming Digital Director. Working closely with Marie Claire's exceptional editorial, audience, commercial, and e-commerce teams, Jenny oversees the brand's digital arm, with an emphasis on driving readership. When she isn't editing or knee-deep in Google Analytics, you can find Jenny writing about television, celebrities, her lifelong hate of umbrellas, or (most likely) her dog, Captain. In her spare time, she also writes fiction: her first novel, the thriller EVERYONE WHO CAN FORGIVE ME IS DEAD, was published with Minotaur Books (UK) and Little, Brown (US) in February 2024 and became a USA Today bestseller. She has also written extensively about developmental coordination disorder, or dyspraxia, which she was diagnosed with when she was nine. She is currently working on her second novel.
-
Prince Harry Reveals How Meghan Markle Is Different From Other Royal Women in Viral TikTok
The Duke of Sussex is always ready to defend his wife.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Do Princess Kate and Prince William Take George, Charlotte, and Louis Trick-or-Treating?
Here's how the royals celebrate Halloween.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Is Kaia Gerber Hiding a Halloween Costume Under Her Chic Black Blazer?
The model attended Billie Eilish's Halloween party in a seriously sleek outfit.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Donald Trump Is Ordered to Pay E. Jean Carroll $83.3 Million in Damages
Carroll had filed two defamation suits against the former president.
By Gabrielle Ulubay Published
-
E. Jean Carroll Triumphs Over Donald Trump In Civil Suit
A jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation.
By Gabrielle Ulubay Published
-
36 Ways Women Still Aren't Equal to Men
It's just one of the many ways women still aren't equal to men.
By Brooke Knappenberger Last updated
-
How New York's First Female Governor Plans to Fight for Women If Reelected
Kathy Hochul twice came to power because men resigned amid sexual harassment scandals. Here, how she's leading differently.
By Emily Tisch Sussman Last updated
-
Why the 2022 Midterm Elections Are So Critical
As we blaze through a highly charged midterm election season, Swing Left Executive Director Yasmin Radjy highlights rising stars who are fighting for women’s rights.
By Tanya Benedicto Klich Published
-
Tammy Duckworth: 'I’m Mad as Hell' About the Lack of Federal Action on Gun Safety
The Illinois Senator won't let the memory of the Highland Park shooting just fade away.
By Sen. Tammy Duckworth Published
-
Roe Is Gone. We Have to Keep Fighting.
Democracy always offers a path forward even when we feel thrust into the past.
By Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland, hosts of Pantsuit Politics Podcast Published
-
The Supreme Court's Mississippi Abortion Rights Case: What to Know
The case could threaten Roe v. Wade.
By Megan DiTrolio Published