Why Jada Pinkett Smith Fights to Stop Human Trafficking
By Yong Chavez, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau
Posted at 07/30/2015 6:45 PM | Updated as of 07/30/2015 6:54 PM
HOLLYWOOD – Hollywood celebrities are known for their glamorous life. But many of them work hard on their own time to support causes that save lives.
Jada Pinkett Smith’s recent special report on CNN focused on the plight of human trafficking victims.
She found out about the global epidemic of modern-day slavery through her daughter, Willow Smith. It prompted her to support non-profit organizations like Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, or CAST, which has saved many labor trafficking victims from the Philippines.
“Because when I realized that it was a huge problem especially for women and children all over the world, I really wanted to be a voice to let people know and scream loudly: human trafficking exists. It was such a secret but yet such a huge problem. That was one of my biggest reasons to get involved, the fact that I had my 12-year-old daughter at the time that came to me to tell me that there were people in the world that were selling children her age,” Smith said.
Starting from her breakout role in the 1996 movie “Set It Off,” Smith has been a role model for many young actresses because of her portrayal of strong female characters.
Even in real life, the actress is a staunch advocate for gender equality and women’s rights.
Though many know her also as the wife of Will Smith and mother of young stars Willow and Jaden, she proves time and again that she is her own person.
“We really have to give each other the license to find out who we are as individual women. But you know what? We as women have to do that for each other because we are harder on each other than anyone. I really feel like we are really mostly the problem on how we try to keep each other in check,” she said.
Smith was recently seen in Magic Mike XXL where she stole scenes as an erotic club owner Rome, a role originally written for Jamie Foxx, which the actress turned and made her own.
The actress also had a memorable first season as the colorful villain Fish Mooney in Fox Television’s “Gotham”.