Friday Faces: Book Club — Just Mercy

Happy Friday! We have another Friday Faces: Book Club for you today. Today’s staff summer read is Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson. Read the summary and then check out what some of our SLOCA staff have to say about the book. 

Stevenson grew up in a working-class African American family in southern Delaware. When he was 16, his grandfather was murdered by teenagers bent on stealing his television – senseless tragedy. Rather than becoming an embittered reactionary, he graduated from Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School of Government and pursued civil rights law in the South. He began at the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta before moving to Alabama to start the Equal Justice Initiative.

Just Mercy tells the story of a case close to Steven’s heart – that of Walter McMillian, erroneously convicted of the murder of an 18-year-old woman in Monroeville, Alabama. 

Stevenson is not only a great lawyer, he is also a gifted writer and storyteller. There is no animosity, anger, or hate in Stevenson’s narrative. He recognizes that everyone is broken, that “we are bodies of broken bones.” He reminds us there is strength and power in acknowledging and understanding the brokenness “because embracing our brokenness creates a need and desire for mercy, and perhaps a corresponding need to show mercy. When you experience mercy, you learn things that are hard to learn otherwise. You see things you can’t otherwise see; you hear things you can’t otherwise hear. You begin to recognize the humanity that resides in each of us.”

Why should someone add this book to their reading list?

• Sarah: Just Mercy is more than a title, it is an aspiration. I would encourage someone to read this book because it is compelling and well-written. More importantly, though, your views on capital punishment and life imprisonment cannot possible remain unchanged if you read this book with an open heart. After reading this book, it becomes clear that the “liberty and justice for all” in the Pledge of Allegiance has yet to be fully realized. If you are just beginning to understand the concept of systemic racism, especially in our justice system, this book is a good first step. Bryan Stevenson also does an excellent job of illustrating how injustice and lack of mercy not only damage the imprisoned and condemned and their families, but also those who prosecute, convict, sentence, guard, and execute them.
• Caroline: Because it is very enlightening.
• Kaitlyn: Just Mercy is an incredibly thought-provoking and powerful book. It brings to light social injustices that I personally did not fully understand, and still don’t for that matter. It opened my eyes to better understand the racial tension in our country through the perspective of someone who has not only walked alongside many people that have experienced injustice but has experienced it himself. There is a lot of power in people’s stories and this book gives us a window to see some of those stories.
• Karen: This story is a tragic piece of contemporary American History. It shows the corruption in our legal system. It tells the story of a man who gives his life for justice on behalf of those who have been beaten down by our legal system.
• Lisa Ann: Many people do not think about our criminal justice system and what it means to be a person of color caught up in it. It is easier to turn away and think that it doesn’t apply to me. But as long as members of our society are treated unjustly to the degree learned about in this book, it is up to the rest of us to look directly at the issue and ask, “What is required of me here?” In addition, it is a well-written page-turner with a human story that will tug at every heart. Bryan Stevenson is living out our SLOCA character traits.

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, Just Mercy

How did this book impact you?

• Sarah: When I finished the book for the first time, it made me want to go to law school and start helping people on death row or those sentenced to life in prison as juveniles or who were mentally incompetent. That is not realistic, but I do hope to work with Restorative Partners when I retire.
• Caroline: Much work is to be done and much work will always need to be done. My new perspective is, slow down and enjoy life.
• Kaitlyn: Reading this book has reminded me that people are so precious and complex. The stories of the young teenagers woven into the narrative impacted me greatly as a teacher. I am reminded that my job is much more than teaching music; it is demonstrating love and mercy to my students, helping them grow in character, and helping them to overcome obstacles.
• Karen: My perspective on the death penalty has changed. The criteria for finding guilt must be more than reasonable doubt.
• Lisa Ann: I was deeply disturbed and moved by this book. The topic wasn’t new to me because I have been interested in educating myself over the past few years. But this book highlighted the need to counteract racism in a proactive way in every way that I can.

…But if we don’t expect more from each other, hope better for one another, and recover from the hurt we experience, we are surly doomed. –Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy

What is your go-to reading spot?

• Sarah: Pre-pandemic: Linnaea’s garden–because it is peaceful and beautiful. You can enjoy a nice cup of tea or coffee and maybe run into a friend or two. It is the perfect mix of solitude and social engagement which I miss sorely during this pandemic. Post-pandemic: my backyard or bed–outside I enjoy being under a tree and hearing/seeing the birds. Reading in bed just represents a time of pure relaxation when all the chores of the day are behind me.
• Caroline: Outside with my coffee.
• Kaitlyn: My go-to reading spot is the couch in my living room simply because its super comfortable — especially with a hot cup of coffee and a seasonal candle lit!
• Karen: My go-to reading spot is my bed, after 10:00 p.m. The house is quiet, and the the day is done.
• Lisa Ann: I read anywhere and everywhere – in line at Trader Joe’s, in the car at the barn where my daughter rides, between innings at my son’s baseball games – you get the picture. But my favorite spot is on my back porch, with my rose garden in my periphery.

If you could change the ending of any famous movie, which movie would it be and how would you end it?

*Spoiler Alert — these answers give away the endings to the following movies, West Side Story, Harry Potter, Forrest Gump, & Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. 

• Sarah: At the end of the last Harry Potter book/movie, I would have Harry be married to Luna Lovegood, not Ginny Weasley. I understand that, as an orphan, Harry longs to be part of a big family, but Luna would be a much more interesting and compatible wife for him.
• Caroline: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker when Princess Leia dies, I wish she was still alive.
• Kaitlyn: West Side Story. I would give it a slightly happier ending that involved Tony surviving the fight and living ‘happily ever after’ with Maria.
• Karen: I would have Dumbledore miraculously survive Snape’s attack.
• Lisa Ann: It would probably ruin the movie – but what if Jenny never died and she and Forrest Gump got to live happily ever after? I’m just a sentimentalist!

Thank you fabulous SLOCA staff, for sharing with us today!

Have you read Just Mercy or seen the movie? Share your insights in the comments below.