Just Mercy (Bryan Stevenson)

My first year here at Washington State University, the campus wide common reading book was Just Mercy. I remember thinking how annoying it was that even in college there was a required summer reading book. However, I later discovered it wasn’t in fact so much a requirement, it was more of a suggestion. Certain classes would use common ideas and themes from the book throughout lectures so it would behoove incoming freshman to read it. I did not. At least not until a good friend of mine invited me to go with her to hear Bryan Stevenson speak. I remember it being a very spur of the moment decision. She asked if I’d go with her and having nothing better to do, I shrugged and said, “why not?”

That day changed my life.

I remember coming back to my dorm in tears. I didn’t know who to call, I didn’t know who to talk to. I was so angry. I began to question everything about my life. At the time, I was foolishly so sure about what the next few years of my life would look like, but in less than two hours, one talk made me want to throw away everything I planned and focus on becoming a lawyer. I remember I called my brother, and when that wasn’t enough to settle me, I called one of my best friends. Through tears I expressed my frustration with the criminal justice system in this country. I ached to do more, to help those who clearly did not deserve to be in the unfortunate positions that they were in. All my life, I’ve felt called to do something more with my life, to serve, to love, to give back and in that instant, I felt so useless. I was met with what was supposed to be comforting words from my friend about how it’s never too late to change, but I used to always pride myself on knowing what I wanted to be when I grew up. I always had an answer, I always had a plan. In fact, I still don’t like change, I’m not comfortable with unknowns but I’m slowly trying to be okay with them and I’m learning to trust the process of life. As a freshman, you’re constantly hearing things like, “oh I changed my major like 4 times, you’ll be fine kid,” okay maybe the ‘kid’ was added in for dramatic effect, but you get the point. Adults or even older peers constantly try to reassure you by saying they did the thing you’re scared of, and they turned out just fine. That only annoyed me, so you can imagine how frustrating it was hearing my best friend and my brother both telling me to get up and start taking the necessary steps to change those things I was venting about. Things like injustice, disparities, lack of empathy, mass incarceration and institutionalized racism. These aren’t things that no one person can change overnight, but after that talk I decided I’d be damned if I didn’t at least try.

I’m sure at this point you’re probably wondering what about Bryan Stevenson has me so fired up? What was that talk about? What is this book about? I’ll start by saying that I’m incredibly passionate about people. My career goals? Simple; I want to help those who can’t help themselves. I aim to empower myself to represent those that don’t get heard, whether that be because society has silenced them and told them they’re worthless, or because they don’t have the means to help themselves. Stevenson refueled that fire in me and I’m blogging about it today because in my Realizing Justice in a Multicultural Society class, we were required to read Just Mercy and write an essay on it. So by no means was this the book I had scheduled for January’s post, but I love the book and needed to share it with you all.

Stevenson is an attorney who graduated from Harvard in 1985. In 1995 in Montgomery, he opened a non profit Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) to represent those on death row. At the time, Alabama was the only state that did not provide an attorney if the defendant was on death row. Throughout the book Stevenson talks about the numerous cases where individuals had been wrongfully convicted or imprisoned. Unfortunately, this happens too often in our criminal justice system and hearing his firsthand account is quite moving. I’ve welled up with tears more times than I’d like to admit while reading this book. He takes these individuals and reminds you that they too are human, they too are deserving of some compassion. Whatever stance you have on the death penalty; this book provides perspective on just how powerful that sentence is. Stevenson encourages the need to maintain our sense of humanity and for that I believe everyone should read this book.

Thanks so much for reading and in case you’re curious for more, I have attached the link to the Ted Talk Bryan Stevenson gave in 2012!

https://www.ted.com/talks/bryan_stevenson_we_need_to_talk_about_an_injustice - t-387430