I know many people don’t have any respect for Kim Kardashian’s justice/prison reform work, but I appreciate the fact that she’s doing it, and I also respect the fact that she continues to do it even in the face of substantial criticism. That’s the way to do it – don’t listen to the noise, make adjustments to your strategies when needed, but keep the focus on parlaying your celebrity to make a difference. Well, guess where Kim was today? San Quentin.
Kim Kardashian was on San Quentin’s death row Thursday … on a mission. Kim took her prison reform efforts on the road to one of America’s most notorious prisons … with the goal of freeing an inmate who has been awaiting death since 1983.
61-year-old Kevin Cooper was convicted of committing 4 heinous murders in Chino Hills, CA in the ’80s and sent directly to death row. Between then and now, the death penalty was suspended, reinstated, there was a gas chamber and then death by lethal injection … and all the while Cooper sat waiting to die, always proclaiming his innocence.
As we reported … back in October, Kim asked then-Governor of California Jerry Brown to look into Cooper’s case because of evidence Cooper has been framed. Brown’s ordered DNA testing, in no small part due to Kim’s campaign. California’s new Governor, Gavin Newsom, ordered additional testing in February. Newsom’s waiting for final DNA test results, but Kim decided to pay a visit so she could have her first face-to-face with the guy she’s trying to free. Kim, who wore all black, spent 2 hours with him and is more convinced than ever he was framed.
As for now … Cooper will not face execution, because Governor Newsom is a death penalty opponent who has suspended all executions while he is in office. We’re guessing Cooper’s happy to have KK on his side … Kim and her legal team have freed 17 inmates gaining freedom over the past few months.
I’ve heard some people say “this is not how it’s supposed to work,” and I get that. I also get that Kim is getting “credit” for the work of “her team,” which is really just a team of people who have worked on justice reform issues for years (if not decades). While it sucks that Kim gets the credit, I also feel like… the heat she brings, both good and bad, works in everybody’s favor. Kim gives political cover to politicians, she takes the brunt of criticism while other people toil away without that spotlight and criticism, and then she’s honestly bringing attention to individual cases of injustice. I’m just saying… you can think Kim is a catfaced fool (she is), but I admire the work she’s doing.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
Would have much preferred a photo of her in a suit or other professional wear to accompany this article about how we should be taking her seriously. A bit difficult when all I can see is her boobs and vulva crack.
That sounds more like your own personal bias more than anything else.
Exactly.
Seriously. Yes, let’s perpetuate the myth that “sexy” and intelligent are mutually exclusive in women, and that someone wearing tight clothes can only be a bimbo.
@tris, perfectly said.
But that’s how she chooses to present herself, regularly.
I think women and sex together SHOULD be taken seriously since this Madonna/Whore thing we deal with is pretty stifling as a whole. It’s not like they choose the only photo of her not looking “professional” and misrepresented her general branding.
She’s not been my favorite for a long time but I’m happy she’s trying to make a difference when she could easily do nothing.
THIS was perfectly said. The op and the cheerleading it got is just the same old tired toxic hymen bullshit.
Hey – you can look at her crack all you want; I just don’t want to see it while I’m contemplating important issues like justice and prison reform.
Other people managed to focus on the bigger picture without going on about how they can only take modest women seriously. Sounds like something you’re responsible for, not anyone else.
@tris, I would argue that Kim actually agrees with you. There is a time and place for everything.
She wore a very conservative outfit for this visit, solid black, long-sleeved and buttoned up to the neck. It is a markedly different look than her usual appearance. She is, obviously, very thoughtful about her appearance and image, and clearly thought that a somber, understated appearance was appropriate.
I kinda like Kim, props to her for doing this and pushing it forward regardless of what people say. She is putting her money where her mouth is, she has given money and PR to Planned Parenthood as well. She is using her celebrity to help the legal teams who have been trying to save these people for years. Go for it Kim.
She is who she is and has never pretended to be anything else. *cough*taylor swift*cough*
Plus I like her hair in the bob style she is sporting in the prison photos TMZ had.
I am not a fan of Kim Kardashian but she is doing more for incarcerated people than any single person commenting on this web site and more than any celebrity I have heard of. I think the criticisms of working with Trump were certainly legitimate but most of the stuff slung her way about this issue are without substance–people just don’t like her.
Exactly. Because if this was being done by someone people “approved” of they would be applauding and singing their praises. People simply can’t or won’t admit that the issue is they simply don’t like Kim. Which is some rather high school mean girl level BS if you ask me. You can dislike someone and STILL acknowledge good deeds or work that they do. Those two thoughts can exist at the same time.
^ This. Comment of the thread.
Of all the hobbies a rich person could have, this is a pretty good one. Kudos.
Listen, people can hate on Kim all they want. My response is…what are YOU doing? It’s so easy to criticize from the sidelines what other people are contributing and how they contribute it. At least she is doing something and her efforts are yielding rewards in the release of inmates – all of whom are black men and women btw.
Well spoken! Everybody’s an expert, but none of them are actively doing something for the system. So annoying.
I hate the Kardashian/Jenner’s with every pary of my soul but I really appreciate that Kim is bringing attention to justice reform. She is finally using her fame for something other than padding her bank account.
+1
Yes, the team (who uses Kim as a media spokesperson) has been working to free these people for years and in some cases decades.
And now these cases that they worked so hard on for so long are actually getting somewhere and getting the attention they deserve…because Kim got involved. It’s amazing what fame can do when used for good.
This case is being revisited because of the advances in DNA forensics, not because of Kim kardashian. It was already being reinvestigated.
Oh snap! Kim has pap pics at San Quentin! Soooooolucky like the paps were just hanging out there. Unfortunately, they did get any pics of her hardworking team….:( just Kim. But she looks fab, makeup is flawless, clothes somber black.
Since those years and decades literally represent people in prison’s lives ticking by; well, for those people, she’s a Godsend.
Good on Kim Kardashian.
Good on Kim for bringing attention and heat to these cases. I just hope she’s careful because some of these people are actually guilty. Luckily she really does have the team of justice reform professionals behind her, and they do amazing work in a broken system. But Kim individually I could see throwing her name behind some “believable” criminal and then the people who actually understand the law and justice system having to show her that no, that’s not always how it works.
Nobody on the teams she’s working with give a s**t that she’s getting credit. They would never have spent the years and sacrifice working so hard toward the goal of freeing innocent people from prison (a thankless job) if they cared about the credit. They’ve said as much. She’s making their fight even more feasible. People are peeeettty.
Yes, organizations love celebrities who get consistently involved as a camera-attractant for their work. It does make a difference. It gets stories in media that would not be there otherwise. People hear about their work who would not otherwise. If they need to fundraise, this makes that easier. Plus the celebrity typically puts their own money into it as well. Other celebrities have done the same for specific causes. It works.
And I can pretty much guarantee that the team is not interested in getting pictures of themselves out there. Not everybody wants publicity for themselves and the risk of losing their privacy. Much better to push Kim into the forefront – she not only attracts cameras, she also is very comfortable in front of them and has already lost every scrap of privacy.
I have basically no knowledge of the Kardashians, for the mere fact that they do not pique my interest AT ALL. So what I know about them is what I read here on Celebitchy.
Having that said, I must admit that I love that Kim is making a statement like this. I have been writing with people in prison for 8.5 years now and it is just such a breath of fresh air that someone famous is making a point to do something good within that community. Whether or not she takes all the credit for other peoples hard work, it is still important to raise awareness of wrongfully convicted people and people in prison in general.
There is just such a huge taboo on being imprisoned and I’m glad someone is bringing this into the spotlight.
Kim can’t find her fulfillment in naked selfies forever. It’s good that she’s finding it in a very different direction that she will never age out of. This is the kind of fame that she can pursue to the end of her days and do a lot of good in the process. It’s not an abstract good cause, either. She can see when real people benefit, people that she has actually met. She needs that.
I think she’s sincere about this one. She gets to be involved with something much deeper than usual and so gets to be around people with very different interests and backgrounds than her usual group.
And now the mother of the boy that inmate was convicted of hacking to death with a hacksaw is speaking out about how painful it is to see her son’s murderer treated like some maligned guy, beaming in selfies with Kardashian.
The mother is right. As she says, this guy is using Kim’s reality star game to sway opinion because the true facts of the case bury him. What’s sad is, people who are all up Kim’s arse with how great she is for her lawyerly works will help this murderer rehash this case and get sympathy points.
It’s one thing to want to help nonviolent offenders who are punished beyond the scope of their crime. But batting up with a guy convicted of hacking kids at a sleepover to death with a frigging hacksaw? That’s praiseworthy to some people?