This is my blog page!

Just Mercy is a must-read. While it’s sorted into the genre “autobiography,” it’s about so much more than just Stevenson’s life. The book plays back and forth between mentioning famous (and important) court cases, Stevenson’s experiences in pursuing his clients’ cases, and the establishing of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). Founded by Bryan Stevenson, the EJI is a non-profit organization which “...works to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial inequality” (eji.org). In this 310 page autobiography, Stevenson not only informs you about the injustices of our criminal justice system, but is able to make you feel in your gut that something is wrong.

The book opens with Stevenson’s first visit to prison to meet a condemned man on death row. The man is nothing like what Stevenson had predicted he would be, and this encounter is the one that solidifies Stevenson’s future in fighting for justice. He spends the remainder of the book defending those who were wrongly sentenced -- people on death row, people with mental illnesses, and juveniles -- with the main case being Walter McMillian’s.

(SPOILER FOR TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH)

Contrary to the New York Times’ quote displayed on Just Mercy’s cover, the book is unlike To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee. Stevenson explicitly points out that while McMillian is in the same position as Tom Robinson from To Kill a Mockingbird, the case is not similar at all. Robinson was eventually killed and found guilty, while there is hardly any evidence at all pointing to McMillian’s guilt. I just want to make this clear before you read the book. Both cases/books are about defending a condemned black man, but only one is about proving innocence.

I’ve never been as touched by a non-fiction book as I was by Just Mercy. This book made me cry (several times), it made me uncomfortable, and it made me fume with rage. When I read the details of the McMillian case, I was in shock at how the court seemed to have no morals. I felt disgusted by the system, but I also felt admiration for Stevenson. In all of his cases, matter how inarguable they were, Stevenson would investigate and argue relentlessly. He was an inspiration to the black community and took on the role of a symbol of hope for them, starting with the McMillian case. He continues to occupy that role now.

Stevenson’s writing is articulate and thorough, and suspenseful, even. He knows how to end a chapter with a bang and start one that intrigues you. It was obvious -- even just from his character descriptions -- that he is an incredibly kind man. For me, this made reading from his perspective very pleasant.

I urge you to read this if you haven’t already (in which case I don’t know why you’ve read this far into the review). Educate yourself on how prevalent racial discrimination can be in court. On how disadvantaged suspects are mistreated and wrongly tried. On many, many people are being sentenced to harsher punishments than they deserve. Read this book to learn how we need to reform our system of criminal justice.