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Hope and Redemption: The Lena Baker Story tells a devastating tale and serves as an interesting footnote in legal history. The film recounts the true story of Lena Baker, who became the first and only woman to be sentenced to death by electric chair in the state of Georgia. The movie chronicles her life starting as a young girl in rural Georgia at the turn of the 20th century. Later in life, she meets Elliot Arthur a tyrant of a man whom she comes to work for. Their relationship is complicated and often brutal, with Arthur kidnapping Baker on several occasions, keeping her from his family. During one encounter in an attempt to free herself, Baker ends up killing Arthur, setting off the trial and string of events that would eventually lead to her death sentence.

Tichina Arnold (Little Shop of Horrors) takes on the titular role of Lena Baker,...

Hope and Redemption: The Lena Baker Story tells a devastating tale and serves as an interesting footnote in legal history. The film recounts the true story of Lena Baker, who became the first and only woman to be sentenced to death by electric chair in the state of Georgia. The movie chronicles her life starting as a young girl in rural Georgia at the turn of the 20th century. Later in life, she meets Elliot Arthur a tyrant of a man whom she comes to work for. Their relationship is complicated and often brutal, with Arthur kidnapping Baker on several occasions, keeping her from his family. During one encounter in an attempt to free herself, Baker ends up killing Arthur, setting off the trial and string of events that would eventually lead to her death sentence.

Tichina Arnold (Little Shop of Horrors) takes on the titular role of Lena Baker,...

Tichina Arnold has joined the upcoming new TV Land network comedy series titled Happily Divorced, starring Fran Drescher.

Said to be based on Drescher’s real-life former marriage and subsequent divorce, the series pilot will focus on a woman (Drescher) who re-enters the dating scene after learning her husband is gay.

Tichina Arnold will assume best black friend duties.

Rita Moreno and Robert Walden will play her parents.

Arnold spent 4 seasons on Everybody Hates Chris, from 2005 to 2009. She’s also starred in the 2008 movie, Hope & Redemption: The Lena Baker Story, as the titular character.

Looking for s story about overcoming impossible odds and finding justice? The Lena Baker Story will be coming to DVD on January 12th, and to help comemorate the release we're giving away a copy to one lucky reader. To find out how to enter for a chance to win, just keep reading.

Just when it seems Lena may be able to forget the sorrow of her past, she is called to work for Elliot Arthur (Peter Coyote), a white man known in Cuthbert for his angry disposition and drinking; with whom she develops a highly-charged relationship. One particularly hot and humid night, Lena finally stands up for herself and attempts to break free from his bondage. After a struggle in which the gun they tussle over accidentally goes off, Elliot Arthur is shot by Lena Baker. She is arrested soon after by the towns sympathetic sheriff (Michael Rooker) who is...

Lena Baker was a maid who was brutally raped by her employer, and fatally shot him after he threatened to scar her with a scorching hot branding iron. An all-White, all-male jury convicted her of murder after a one-day trial where no witnesses were called. In 1945, she was executed. She is to date the first and only woman to be executed by the electric chair in Georgia. Sixty years after her execution, Lena Baker was pardoned by the state. Tichina Arnold took the dramatic role as Baker in "The Lena Baker Story," a far cry from her portrayal of Pam on "Martin." Essence.com recently caught up with the actress to discuss the riveting dramatic role.

For those of you out there who get off on “Woe is me! Lawd what did I’se do to be so black and blue?” black movies have I got a winner for you. On January 4th Lionsgate will release on DVD The Lena Baker Story starring Tichina Arnold (from Martin and Everybody Hates Chris) Beverly Todd and Michael Rooker who is Hollywood’s go-to guy for playing racist Southern rednecks, just like he did recently on AMC’s The Walking Dead.

The film tells the story about Lena Baker, the only woman to be executed in the electric chair in Georgia only to be pardoned 60 years later. The film was made over two years ago and I don’t know of any theatrical showings the film might have had, but the extreme downbeat nature of the story no doubt made it hard for the film to get any kind of domestic theatrical release.