GALLERY: Jada Pinkett Smith Captivates Audience
Hollywood Trailblazer and New Friends New Life Luncheon speaker Jada Pinkett Smith was first inspired to advocate for those impacted by sex trafficking in 2011 when her then pre-teen daughter Willow watched a documentary at school and told her there were children her age being sold for sex in the United States.
Pinkett Smith did not believe it until completing her own research, making her an immediate advocate against the practice. Since then, she has remained passionate to fight what has become the “new age of slavery” and “an epidemic in our country.”
Interviewed on stage by NBC 5’s Laura Harris, Pinkett Smith captivated the New Friends New Life Annual Luncheon audience of nearly 1,000 on Oct. 11 at the OMNI Dallas with personal stories, experiences on the streets with victims of sex trafficking, and advice on important ways to parent and educate our children.
Luncheon Co-Chair Couples Christa and Ketric Sanford and Shelly Slater and Clayton Huffstutter teamed with Honorary Chairs Amy and Joe Crafton as the leadership for this year’s event, demonstrating that sex trafficking is not a women’s issue, it’s a human issue that must be addressed by both men and women.
As Pinkett Smith took the stage, she told the audience, “I applaud each of you as this is a beautiful turnout for this important cause. New Friends New Life is doing phenomenal work. Trafficking is becoming a very sophisticated crime, so it is crucial to have conversations such as this.”
(Photos by Tamytha Cameron)
