October Not Fiction Book Discussions

We are looking forward to the upcoming discussions of Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson, a troubling book by an inspiring author. Stevenson is the executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. He and EJI challenge bias against the poor and people of color and have won relief for dozens of prisoners who have been wrongly imprisoned and condemned.

In his Introduction, Stevenson tells readers about his grandmother's words of advice to him when he was a child: "You can't understand most of the important things from a distance, Bryan. You have to get close." In his memoir, Stevenson narrates some painful situations, such as the execution of prisoners and the great uncertainty and suffering endured by the prisoners and their families in the years, days, and hours leading up to these planned state killings, that are very difficult to read. Why do you think he asks us to live through these moments with these individuals and their families, and how does his decision as a writer relate to his grandmother's advice?

Justice is often personified as a blindfolded woman. The blindfold represents objectivity and impartiality. Stevenson introduces readers to many individuals whose cases illustrate that our justice system is not objective and impartial, especially where race, gender, and socio-economic status are concerned. Were you surprised by any of the statistics and stories Stevenson presents? Which of these stories most affected you and why?

Among the many stories that Stevenson tells in Just Mercy, the one he devotes the most time to in his narrative is that of Walter McMillian. McMillian, a poor Black man, is sentenced to die for the murder of a young White woman in spite of overwhelming evidence showing he could not have committed the crime and many instances of blatant misconduct by law enforcement officers, prosecuting lawyers, and judges assigned to the case. Why do you think Stevenson chose to highlight McMillian's case? What does his case represent about our justice system? Do you think justice was finally served to McMillian in the end?

Reviewers have compared Stevenson to the fictional lawyer Atticus Finch in Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Stevenson is frustrated that the novel is a point of pride in Monroeville, the town where his client Walter McMillan was sentenced to die for a crime he didn't commit. What are the ironies of this coincidence, and why does this comparison to Finch and the town pride in the novel frustrate Stevenson?

Stevenson titles one of his chapters Broken and his book as a whole Just Mercy. To whom is Stevenson referring? Who is broken, and who deserving of mercy? Do you agree with Stevenson that it is our own fear of brokenness that motivates our justice system's worst intentions and abuses?

Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative do necessary work motivated by a belief in justice and mercy. While Stevenson and EJI are admirable and heroic in their efforts, what does the fact that there is so much work for them to do say about our justice system? What do we as a society need to do to make their work less necessary?

We hope you will join the discussion: Tuesday, October 6, at 6:30 p.m. at Main Library; Thursday, October 22, at 11:00 a.m. at West Ashley Branch Library; and here on the blog. See the previous post about October's discussions for information about Starbucks' partnership with Stevenson and EJI to promote the book and support their work by donating profits from the sales of the book in their coffee shops.