By: Tyra Gravesande

With months of deliberation and countless hours of protest via phone calls and marches, the time has finally arrived... 30 year old Cyntoia Brown has been granted clemency and will be released on parole in August of 2019!

For those who are unaware, Cyntoia Brown endured a tedious process; at age 16, Brown served 15 years in prison for the murder of a man who bought her for sex. Brown was on awaited trial, potentially serving a life sentence for the murder conviction.

With the country in a huge ruckus and completely enraged with this issue, millions of citizens across the United States marched and protested for granted clemency over Brown’s conviction.

Many celebrities also stood in solidarity for Cyntoia such as Lebron James, Snoop Dogg, and Rihanna; Protesting to end child slavery and finally terminate the idea of sex trafficking completely.

With immense relief, Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee has granted full clemency for Cyntoia Brown. Her estimated release date will be August 7th, 2019. Gov. Haslam stated, “imposing a life sentence on a juvenile that would require her to serve at least 51 years before even being eligible for parole consideration is too harsh, especially in the light of extraordinary steps Ms. Brown has taken to rebuild her life”.

While in prison, Brown earned both her GED and Associates degree, finishing with a 4.0 GPA. She is one course away from earning her Bachelor’s from Lipscomb University.

As America praises the state of Tennessee for working diligently and ambitiously to earn clemency for Cyntoia, we all will continue to stand in solidarity for Cyntoia as she wraps up her time held in chains. In 6 months, Brown will finally break from her chains and become a freed, young woman.

After receiving the fantastic news, Cyntoia made a memorable statement, “ I hope to live the rest of my life, helping others, especially young people. My hope is to help other young girls avoid ending up where I have been.” And we will stand right behind you Cyntoia!