“Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done. My work with the poor and the incarcerated has persuaded me that the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice.”–Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy
This book rocked me. Bryan Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative when he was a young lawyer. It is a legal practice dedicated to helping those most in need–the poor, the falsely condemned, women, and children who have been marginalized and victimized by the legal system. One of his first cases was representing a man who had been convicted of a murder he did not commit and was on Alabama’s death row as a result. As Stevenson begins investigating the case, he sees first hand the conspiracy, corruption, and political machinations within the legal system.
The more Stevenson saw, the more cases he became involved with and he has been key to freeing several death row inmates who were innocent of the crimes they were convicted of. Along the way, his views on mercy and justice were forever changed. This book is inspiring but also terrible as you meet innocent people incarcerated for decades because of their color, poverty, mental health issues, or mediocre public defenders. Stevenson defines capital punishment as those who have the capital don’t get the punishment. He has dedicated his life to representing those who don’t have capital and have gotten the punishment.
Stevenson reminds us that we can make a difference for good in the world and there is absolutely no doubt that he has made the world a better place. I believe this is a book everyone should read.
Content Advisory: Racism, violence, child abuse, sexual assault, suicide