I normally don’t contribute in first person to any posts, but Kemba’s story is so near and dear to my heart because as a college student in the HBCU there was SO MUCH SUPPORT for Kemba. There were so many fliers. HUNDREDS. These fliers were posted daily. As black and brown women we were so invested in her story and championed for her released. She had an entire army of sisters and I was one of them. Kemba’s story is a cautionary tale. We’ve ALL had the slick talking, fast money boyfriend. But at what cost? I will always hold her story close because this could have been any of us. She was not alone, and we loved her. No judgment. KEMBA will premiere on BET+ Thursday, February 22nd.
BET+ Original Movie | Kemba | Trailer
Based on a true story, KEMBA follows the journey of Kemba Smith, a sheltered college student who falls in love with a man who turns out to be a drug dealing kingpin.
Shortly after meeting her boyfriend, Khalif, Kemba’s relationship with him took an unexpected turn into abuse and grooming when she learned he was a drug-dealer. Though she never dealt or handled drugs, Kemba received an outrageous sentence for her boyfriend’s crimes. The promising Hampton student was suddenly caught in the middle of a “war on drugs.”
Never losing hope in their daughter, Gus and Odessa Smith, along with an attorney from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, launch a campaign for appeal and later clemency. Their fight for justice launched Kemba’s story into an inspiring journey that harnessed the power of Black civic organizations, sororities, celebrities, and lawmakers to help free Kemba.
Related Links: https://www.blackfilm.com/read/alfre-woodard-talks-bet-series-the-porter/
