Ri’s Read: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

What I Read

Just Mercy

This one was a rollercoaster.

Throughout this book, I felt rage, I felt sadness, I felt hopelessness, I felt joy. I shared in the triumphant moments, but the story just reminded me that this country is and always has been plagued by prejudice, ego, and injustice. It also reinforced that (most) of the South is not for me lol.

Bryan Stevenson shares the true story of Walter McMillian, a poor Black man who was falsely accused of murder and sentenced to death in Alabama. He spent years on Death Row despite the insurmountable evidence of his innocence.

What I loved most about this book is that it’s not just Walter’s story, as I’d expected. It paints a broader picture of the American justice system, providing insight into the way marginalized groups are treated in this country–from women, to kids, to the disabled and mentally ill, to the poor. The fight for justice is not just the Black man and woman’s fight, and this story depicts that beautifully. The ugly, unfortunate truth about America is that if you’re not wealthy and white, you’ll have to work twice as hard to keep the targets off your back.

On Evil and the System

I don’t understand the evil in people. I know that evil must exist for good to have meaning. That there is darkness within all of us. But what about integrity and compassion?

How can you have proof of a human being’s innocence and still be adamant about ending their life? More importantly, why? It’s unfathomable to me.

America hasn’t changed at all; we just call her injustices by a different name. The system is broken, but we knew that. America will break the law, rewrite history, and do everything in her power to uphold her exploitation of Black bodies.

This book also got me thinking about how this country is more concerned with looking good than doing good. Problems aren’t being addressed; they’re being covered up. Most of our issues are self-created, but this is a country that refuses to acknowledge its faults. We send drug addicts and people driven to lives of crime because of poverty to jail, instead of getting them the help they need. We “choose not to see color” instead of recognizing how racism is weaved into the structure of this country, from the justice system, to education, to healthcare, and just about everything in between.

This story was an eye opener; it proves what we knew all along–the law is both relative and inflexible, all at once. We’re giving 14-year-old minorities life sentences for non-homicide crimes because of the rigid structure of certain laws, and letting rich white kids off with warnings and community service for much severer infractions. How are we allowing this to occur in a country that boasts freedom, opportunity and equality? It’s a joke. It’s disgusting.

The Bottom Line

I recommend, wholeheartedly. If you aren’t familiar with just how heinous and unfair the American justice system is, this story will open your eyes, quick. It moved me in surprising ways; it really made me feel, and art that truly makes me feel holds a special place in my heart.

Mercy is defined as “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.” It’s rooted in grace and empathy; it’s at the core of what it means to be human.

It’s even more meaningful, as Bryan explains in the last chapter, when it’s given to those undeserving and unseeking. This doesn’t mean that people who do wrong shouldn’t be held accountable. It means that we should remember each other’s humanity in these moments; we shouldn’t meet injustice with more injustice. We shouldn’t have the audacity to hide our prejudice, evil, and animosity behind the false façade of God’s will, with no regard to forgiveness and redemption.

Also, we need more Bryan Stevensons in the world. Pure, wholehearted altruism warms my heart. 10/10.

What I’m Reading

Wholeness: Winning in Life From the Inside Out

Transparency moment: this read is right on time for me. Over the past few months, I’ve been working on strengthening my sense of self and feeling, well, whole. I had been feeling a sense of emptiness that came and went for a really long time. I felt fulfilled in some moments, and overwhelmingly sad and disappointed in others, and I couldn’t figure out why.

This is part of why I started therapy and became really serious about wellness and my self-care. I’m excited for this read, because honestly, wholeness does come from within. Nothing material in this world can fix inner brokenness.

Here’s the synopsis.

See y’all in April with the review! In the mean time–have you read Just Mercy, or seen the movie? If so, what are your thoughts? Let’s chat in the comments!