Orange Is the New Black is launching a new fund to promote criminal justice, and it’s named after one of our favorite characters
Fans of Orange Is the New Black have followed the women of Litchfield Penitentiary for six seasons now. The series’ seventh and final season hit Netflix today, July 26th. But while we might have to say goodbye to our favorite inmates, the show is leaving a real-world impact. Creator Jenji Kohan announced the creation of a new fund to benefit criminal justice reform. And it’s named after none other than Poussey Washington.
The Poussey Washington Fund will raise money for eight different nonprofit organizations dedicated to fighting for criminal justice reform, immigrants’ rights, and women affected by incarceration.
Its name, of course, commemorates Poussey (played by Samira Wiley), whose death at the hands of a correctional officer in Season 4 spurred other inmates to riot the following season. According to Entertainment Weekly, Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson (played by Danielle Brooks), who has been one of Litchfield’s most vocal activists after Poussey’s death, launches a fund to give micro-loans to newly released inmates in Orange Is the New Black Season 7. In a statement to EW, Kohan explained how this storyline inspired the real-life initiative.
"Through the Poussey Washington Fund, our characters can live on and continue to make an impact after the show has come to an end. Taystee recognized an opportunity to make a difference for her fellow inmates, and we saw no reason why we couldn’t launch our own initiative to have an effect in the real world."
Every sentence has led to this. The final season of Orange is the New Black is now streaming. #OrangeForever pic.twitter.com/mSP0jFUz6Z
— Orange Is the New Black (@OITNB) July 26, 2019
Producer Tara Herrmann told The Hollywood Reporter the crew selected organizations that had either collaborated with the show for the final season or had relationships with cast members. Piper Kerman, whose memoir inspired the series, also helped choose the organizations.
The show’s cast announced the fund in a video, which features several fans discussing the impact the series has had on their lives. Wiley also appears to help explain the fund.
"We’ve been honored to tell these stories of these characters, and we’ve learned first-hand that the system is failing women, both inside and outside of prison walls," Wiley says in the video. "So the Poussey Washington Fund will help all of us keep the Orange legacy living on long after the show is over."
The Poussey Washington Fund is an amazing way to make a real-world difference and honor the legacy of Orange Is the New Black. To learn more or to make a donation, visit the fund’s CrowdRise page.
