Celebrities Take Action for Cyntoia Brown

By Allison Johnson
Blog Content Contributor

Cyntoia Brown was a victim of human sex trafficking at the young age of 16. I don’t know about yall, but as a young woman, this is one of my biggest fears. Not only one of mine, but my parents as well. I watched Lifetime movies and even those such as Taken as when I was younger than 16. Although they may have just been movies, that kind of evil does exist in the world. My parents wanted me to know that. Their advice was to always fight like hell if I ever ended up in a horrid situation like that, and that is exactly what Cyntoia Brown did. She killed a 43-year-old child predator to escape a living nightmare.

Cyntoia was sentenced to life in prison in 2004 for killing a man to escape a life as a sex slave. 13 years later her story has received a lot of attention on social media. A lot of celebrities are moved and hurt by her harsh sentence. Celebrities such as Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, and Lebron James are using their platforms to say the justice system failed Cyntoia.

They are right. One specific person is doing what we wish we could do to help Cyntoia Brown. Kim Kardashian has enlisted a lawyer to help free Brown. This is a prime example of using your blessings to bless others. Many of us wish we could help Brown and many others like her.

Some advice I got from watching Anthony Graves speak at a common experience event is that us college students can play a role in preventing these tragedies in the court of law. Graves said voting makes a difference. For us broke college students who wish we could do what Kim Kardashian is doing for Brown, we can hold ourselves accountable by voting in all levels of elections.

I pray that Cyntoia Brown receives a chance at a normal life. I hope if she receives justice, this will set a precedent for other cases. The world is full of bad people, who give people bad experiences. Brown was dealt a horrible hand of life, so I’m so happy that Kim felt a calling to do what humans are here to do, and that’s help people.

Featured illustration by Asia Daggs.