Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson is not a typical justice story. It does not include the most beautiful and glamorous stories, it does not have an action-packed stories where the a hero saves the day, it does not have a perfect ending where the world was no longer in conflict and everybody became happy. Instead, Just Mercy deals with the constant struggle to serve justice to as many people as possible. Stevenson's story creates a true message that even in times of hardship, there is hope.
After my mom bought the book, Just Mercy sat on (one of my several) bookshelves for around a year. I had picked up the book a few times, but set it down because I didn't feel too interested in a story about death row prisoners. However, the past few weeks drew my attention towards this book. Recently, I wrote an essay on Stevenson's quote, "the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice." This simple yet powerful phrase allowed me to consider the relationship between economic power and justice, which I was able to write down. Not only that, I am currently working on a history project about prison rights and conditions and I thought it was a great time to read about different perspective on the U.S. prison system. Therefore, I picked up the book that opened my eyes to a new light.
I enjoyed how Stevenson intently focused on one of his cases, which was on a man named Walter McMillian, but also on other cases about people on death row. It was uplifting to see Walter McMillian earn justice even through struggles, but it was also very heartbreaking to see people who did not deserve to be killed sent to death. These stories communicated so many hardships and emotions to me and I deeply learned that in American society today, the victims are often the most exploited upon. I knew that race deeply affected whether one would reach justice or not; however, I was also able to learn that children who suffered constant abuse and violence from a young age, women who live in struggling environments, and the mentally disabled who have endured abuse and inhumane conditions are also people who are likely to be placed on the death row.
I did not realize that so many people had suffered underneath the hand of injustice from the government. Yet, what made this book truly inspiring was Stevenson and his organization's effort to achieve justice. Even through the constant obstacles presented, it was amazing how the organization was able to continue to work for prisoners even up to the last hour before executions. And although not every case was successful, it was astonishing how someone was able to stand up again to try whatever they had to help others. To me, it seems superhuman, physically and mentally. I still knew that Stevenson was a human being. He showed feelings of disgust and anger like any other human, and he also shows his growth throughout the years as a prosecutor, which I really appreciated.
I would recommend Just Mercy to those who anyone who would read it. Although it may be hard to digest in some part, I believe it is a story that people can really learn from.
If you want to learn more about Bryan Stevenson, visit his site.
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