Just Mercy
"Not since Atticus Finch has a fearless and committed lawyer made such a difference in the American south. Though larger than life, Atticus exists only in fiction. Bryan Stevenson is very much alive and doing God's work fighting for the poor, the oppressed, the voiceless, the vulnerable, the outcast, and those with no hope. Just Mercy is his inspiring and powerful story.”
John Grisham
Bryan Stevenson is an extraordinary human being. As a Harvard Law graduate he clearly had the ability to pursue many different career opportunities. Instead, he moved to Alabama and founded the Equal Justice Initiative, where he started a practice to represent those facing the death penalty. The central story in the book focuses on Walter McMillian, a black man accused of murder and placed on death row before he was even convicted. Through Stevenson’s heroic efforts, McMillian’s conviction is challenged, and eventually overturned. But the process reveals a disturbing reality of the overt racism and conspiracy to convict an innocent man. I was deeply moved by this story for many reasons that will be evident to anyone who reads the book. But I was most struck by the fact that this took place in my lifetime and for so long I was oblivious to the inhumanities that exist in our world. Injustice like this seems like it should only exist in our distant past. Ultimately what I love in this book is Bryan Stevenson’s call to view each life with more compassion and more mercy, and his absolute commitment to a cause greater than him.
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Whitney2 years ago