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Kemba Smith Biography In The Works
A movie about Kemba Smith (a woman wrongly convicted of drug crimes) has begun. We get wind of this biopic from our friends at cinematical:
Smith’s story is pretty shocking and should make for an interesting film. Born in Richmond, Virginia, she was raised by middle-class parents and led a life free from troubles with the law until she made her way to Hampton University. There, she “met a man who ended up being the leader of a $4 million crack cocaine ring and one of the FBI’s 15 most wanted.” For the love of this man, she dropped out of school and went on the run with him.Although the government acknowledged that Smith never sold or took drugs, “she was charged with conspiracy to distribute crack and was sentenced to 24 years in prison.” In 1999 she was featured in Glamour Magazine, which described how she came to be charged for her boyfriend’s crimes. In 2000, after 6 years in prison, President Clinton pardoned Smith on his way out of office. Since then, she has since created the Kemba Smith Foundation, and works to gain rights for ex-felons — namely, the right to vote, serve jury duty, and run for public office.
What’s a girl gotta do to get a pardon from Clinton. Hey-O!
This is an unfortunate tale of a girl being damned by love. I don’t think she should have been charged with crimes she didn’t commit; but crack cocaine seldom creates good news. If you surround yourself with crack, bad things usually happen. I think this is a universal law, like gravity. Stay away from the crack kids – that is the moral of the day.
This film is still in need of a writer to adapt the tale for the silver screen. This is a tragic tale about the shared consequences that only love can forge. The heart may bring you to a bad place in order to get what it needs; it throws logic to the wind and hungers for what it desires like a zombie for brains.
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“Smith’s story is pretty shocking and should make for an interesting film.” First an foremost my congradulations to my long lost friend Kemba. I met Kemba at Danbury Correctional Facility back in late 90’s. I myself was moved by her story. Why is because her story is the same story every ghetto girl experiences but is never told or paid attention to. Her story has drawn National attention for specific reasons goes against the natural order of things. She was raised by middle class working parents. The were suppose to be visiting her at Harvard not Danbury. However, I would like to point out there are 100’s of young girls who are raised in the innercity/ projects who’s plight for love and acceptance by men who seem to be able to them out of their perhaps family dynamics, economic poverty, or poor condition of life land them in places they never intended to be. No young girl is born into this world with the thought “i’m going to fall in love with a (thug, drug dealer, hustler, Og, gangster, pimp), what have you. Circumstances in their tender lives bring them them to their inevitable destiny. I guess the amazing thing about Kemba’s story is the metomorphis her life took after prison life and how she was able to turn things around. However, keep in mind again what about the thousands of women in Kemba’s shoes are released from prison daily who have no great upbringing, who have no family foundation, parental support, religious or community support willing to give them jobs? What about the women who really lived the entirety of their life in the hell your attempting to present Kemba’s horrible cirrcumstance as? Tell the story but keep it real cause the issues are deeper than I think even one can imagine!!!!!
Who cares? She needs to do her time just like the other convicts who break the law. Who is she? Just another fool dabbling with drugs.
That is your opinion! However,I think a movie would be great so it can let other young women see what can happen if your with the wrong person.We have all been guilty by association and it dosen’t make you a criminal.
I commend you Kemba, for your endurance and fotitude throughout your experience of the so common practice of INJUSTICE enbossed in our national judicial system.
While your experience is by no stretch of the imagination unique as far as being caught-up and caught-out in that particular situation, It is very unique be have been pardon by the president of the United States.
I pray and would love no more to see a national road map to freedom the the enormous number of folks to clear themselves of such horrors. Being an aged woman, and is not only a mother, grand-mother but as well a great-grand-mother, I advocate for changes in the heartless, corrupt judicial system for women. But, being one of forementioned character, I advocate for boys and men. For males are in the mix of my life, and I know first-hand, those same exact situations happen to them as well.
My reference to a road map is just this, there MUST be an unfound (for most) procedure to be developed for the purpose of a universal processionary effect.
There has to be some way to change the concept from “JUST US” to true unadulterated “JUSTICE.”
GODSPEED.
Faye Wilson (New Haven, Ct.)