Kim Kardashian West feels a responsibility to fight for a more equal world for her children’s future.
In an interview with Jenna Bush Hager on The Today Show on Monday morning, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians personality, 39, discussed her work in criminal justice reform, citing how becoming a mother reaffirmed her activism in creating a better society.
“When you become a mom, you become so protective,” she said. “You want to hopefully make their world the most perfect place ever, and ours obviously isn’t.”
One recent case Kardashian West spoke up about was that of Rodney Reed, a black man who has been on death row in Texas for more than two decades for a murder he maintains that he did not commit. On Friday, Reed found out his execution had been suspended — and Kardashian West was there with him when he was informed.
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“When we got the news it was just this overwhelming sigh of relief and hope that really filled the room,” she said of the moment. “It was extremely emotional, and he said, ‘Praise Jesus’ … I could just feel his soul when he said that.”
Reed, now 51, was found guilty by an all-white jury in the 1996 rape and murder of Stacey Stites, a 19-year-old from Texas. New evidence, however, has cast doubts on the conviction, prompting many celebrities and activists to speak up on his behalf.
“When someone has been through so much trauma and so much disappointment in their life that, especially when they feel like they haven’t been heard, you can imagine still a sense of disbelief,” she said of Reed’s emotional reaction to the development in his case.
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A mother’s instinct to fight for her own children, said Kardashian West, is a key motivator that keeps her willing to stand up for what’s right — an issue made all the more important when the prevalence of racial prejudice is considered.
“I definitely see how black men are treated in this country … and I’m raising two black men, so I want to make sure that my world and their world is as safe and as fair as possible,” she said.
Kardashian West is mom to sons Psalm, 5 months, and Saint, 3½, as well as two daughters, Chicago, 21 months, and North, 6, with rapper Kanye West, 42.
The reality TV personality and business woman — and soon-to-be lawyer — said she’s aware of her reach and platform, and that she wants to use it to bring focus to cases that need the support and attention.
“I really think attention can help,” she said. “They say that it takes a village, but it really takes a country.”
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