Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

""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. Finally, I've come to believe that the true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged, and the respected among us. The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned."
            -Bryan Stevenson, from Just Mercy

When folks in our church started talking about the racial unrest in our nation and wondering what our approach should be, it was suggested we form a study/discussion group to learn more. While such a group was being thought out and plans were being made, it came to my attention that the film "Just Mercy" was being shown at no charge for a limited time. I watched the movie and was absolutely fascinated and appalled at the same time. I quickly learned the film was based on a book by the same name and, of course, I ordered it from the library.

Just Mercy has the subtitle "A Story of Justice and Redemption" and that is exactly what it is. It is a gripping story of a young black Harvard-educated lawyer who takes as one of his first clients a man who has been on Alabama's death row for 6 years. Walter McMillan had been falsely accused, wrongfully convicted, and unfairly sentenced. Finally, he found in Bryan Stevenson a lawyer who believed in him and would fight tooth and nail to get him freed.

Bryan started a non-profit called the Equal Justice Initiative, EJI. Walter McMillan's story is the featured case in the book, and the one documented in the movie, but EJI reaches out to try to help women and youth who have been excessively sentenced, particularly to life in prison. These stories were fascinating, as well, and not included in the film.
[From EJI's website:
Founded in 1989 by Bryan Stevenson, a widely acclaimed public interest lawyer and bestselling author of Just Mercy, EJI is a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state jails and prisons. We challenge the death penalty and excessive punishment and we provide re-entry assistance to formerly incarcerated people.]

It was ironic that the people of Monroeville, AL, where McMillan's alleged crime took place, were very proud to be the setting of the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel about a black man falsely accused of rape.

This nonfiction reads more like fiction---for me a real page-turner, rating a 5! It even had some humor mixed in with all the emotional intensity. I laughed aloud at the part where Bryan meets activist Rosa Parks for the first time and is asked about his work. After he describes what he does at length, she says, "Ooooh, honey, all that's going to make you tired, tired, tired."

I am so impressed with Bryan Stevenson's work demonstrated so well in Just Mercy. He is my new SUPERHERO!