Oh wow this book. This was my October pick from my personal list of anti-racist reads. First of all, definitely watch the movie too (it’s excellent – it stars Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx) but read the book, too. While the movie primarily focuses on the Walter McMillian death row case, the book tackles so much more. And it really shows you how broken the justice system has been. It follows Bryan Stevenson’s career from his early days as a law student to his days as a young lawyer where he founded the Equal Justice Initiative dedicated to those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system.
It will break your heart over and over again (especially the parts about kids – those really broke me) as he takes us through the different cases he’s fought, and the wins and losses along the way. I cried multiple times reading it. Bryan Stevenson seems like such an amazing man, dedicating his life to fighting for justice and equality. I really think everyone should read this book, especially if you don’t know a lot about the criminal justice system (to be honest, I didn’t) and the death penalty, or you have never really paused to think critically about either of those things. It’s been named one of the most influential books of the decade by CNN for good reason. I loved it.
Author: bryan stevenson
