The Kemba Smith Foundation is an American

charitable organization A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...

which aims to raise awareness of certain social issues, including

drug abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

, violence,

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

teenage pregnancy Teenage pregnancy, also known as adolescent pregnancy, is pregnancy in a female adolescent or young adult under the age of 20. This includes those who are legally considered adults in their country. The WHO defines adolescence as the period bet ...

, and abuse. It was founded by Kemba Smith Pradia, who was convicted of a federal crime related to crack cocaine possession and had her sentence commuted by President Bill Clinton.

The foundation

Some of the objectives of the Kemba Smith Foundation include: *to work toward the elimination of prejudice and discrimination in neighborhoods, and combat juvenile delinquency. *to implement real-life stories into forums that are examples to young people about the detrimental effects of bad decisions and inappropriate conduct.

Kemba Smith

While attending

Hampton University Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association af ...

, Smith became involved with a drug dealer who "was a major figure in a $4 million crack cocaine ring". She became physically, mentally, and emotionally abused. Smith was sentenced to 24½ years in prison, serving 6½ years before

President Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...

's order of

clemency A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the ju ...

. During her stay in prison, Smith gave birth to a son. Smith is currently an avid speaker on the rights of felons and is working in the state of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

to reinstate their power to vote, serve on a jury and run for public office. Smith graduated from

Virginia Union University Virginia Union University is a private historically black Baptist university in Richmond, Virginia. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. History The American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS) founded the school as Richm ...

with a bachelor's degree in

Social Work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...

and graduated from law school. "Her story has been featured on Nightline, Court TV, The Early Morning Show and host of other television programs. Along with several publications such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, Glamour, People, and Essence magazines." Smith has also received numerous awards while fighting for the rights of released prisoners and educating the public on topics related to drug policies. Smith also educates the public on current laws and the criminal system. She is involved in a tour sponsored by

Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer hea ...

's Tampax "Totally You Tour".

References

{{reflist Charities based in Virginia HIV/AIDS activists American civil rights activists