'Racism Exposed In Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy'

Improved Essays
Bryan Stevenson states, ‘“Racial integrity” laws were part of a plan to replicate slavery’s racial hierarchy and reestablish the subordination of African Americans.” In relation to the history of race, in Just Mercy, Stevenson incorporates how historical events such as slavery, mass incarceration, “Jim Crow” laws, and racial terrorism have affected how people perceive race and racism. Race was conceived the way it was in the beginning of the early modern period because people, especially white, saw different cultures and races obscure and it affected the development of racism today because people learned to develop racial profiling without actually investigating for the truth. Racism seemed to develop as early as the fifteenth century when Christopher Columbus encounter Native Americans, the British acted superior towards them as if they were not equal …show more content…
In Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson tells stories of how he takes on many cases of wrongly convicted people, especially those blamed because of their race. One of the people Stevenson defended was Walter McMillian, he was convicted of killing a women but McMillian was innocent, and he was blamed because he had an affair with a white woman which was forbidden due to the fact that he was black. It did not help McMillians case that he was accused by a white man who said that he saw him kill the innocent women even though it was not true but the jury and judge decided to believe him instead even after the person who accused him said it was all a lie. McMillian even had witnesses saying they were with him on the day of the murder but it seemed not to be enough to be set free. Stevenson was able to find enough evidence to prove that Walter McMillian was innocent but they are still many people like him who are innocent but are convicted because of their

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Walter’s case complicated the debate in very graphic ways”(Stevenson,243). Although Walter did not commit the crime, there were three witnesses against him for which he was sentenced to death. It is the police and lawyers who were responsible for the injustice Walter faced. Just like Walter, the other people mentioned in the book also faced injustice mostly due officials, other than the Judiciary being corrupt. For example, Marsha Colby and Diane Jones got convicted for crimes they didn’t commit .…

    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    By convicting Walter the courts denied the importance of their voices when they repeatedly told law enforcement that Walter was with them at the time of the murder. He relates their feelings to a similar story about a man named John. Both of these men play important roles in their communities and their “fates” have a strong impact on their communities. Stevenson shows just how strong a group of marginalized communities and all the sacrifice and struggles that go into creating a better future for future…

    • 666 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Bryan Stevenson’s Ted talk he addresses the issues and injustices in the criminal justice system. The first main point that Stevenson makes is that there is a large degree of disconnect between what happens in the criminal justice system and communities of poverty, and what happens in those of affluent or middle class wealth. He illustrates that the train of thought is often, “that’s not our burden” when concerning issues of mass incarceration and poverty. He explains that we must be engaged with the issues of the poor and the suffering to fully evolve as a civilization. This disconnect is made clear when Stevenson compares the attitude of Germany to that of the United States on the topic of the death penalty.…

    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This ordeal is a good persuasive topic for Stevenson because this case is so outrageous. By presenting the personal background story of McMillian, the reader begins to support the successful outcome of his case. Stevenson uses McMillian’s case to illustrate his commitment to his clients and the need for reform of the criminal justice system. He is able to detail McMillian’s story so that the reader can better connect and empathize with McMillian’s situation. Stevenson is facing an uphill battle in fighting for his clients because there is not only institutional but overt racism as well in the system.…

    • 1064 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout the book, Just Mercy, the encounters Bryan Stevenson had with inmates was eye-opening to me. When one looks at the criminal justice system as a whole, every person convicted of their crime is looked upon as rightfully guilty. After reading, Just Mercy, that is clearly not the case. There are many people put into jail or even death row for crimes they did not even commit. The case with Walter McMillian is a perfect example of this.…

    • 1180 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During the 1930’s there was a case of white people against black boys in the town of Paint Rock, AL (Ransdall).” This case was known as The Scottsboro Trials. A novel written by Harper Lee titled To Kill a Mockingbird has a similar plot in which a black man, or Negro, was accused of raping a white woman (Lee). Both of these stories have similarities and parallels that are interesting to indulge in. The social characteristics, stigmas, and opinions if superiority influence the behaviors and decisions of those involved in both trials.…

    • 1677 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Fatal Invention, by Dorothy Roberts (2011) was an extremely powerful reading. It opened my eyes tremendously to racism, both from the past and the present. I knew racism was something people faced each and every day, but I don’t think I ever registered that it happened or happens to this degree. The term “race” has been applied to discriminate against different groups of individuals. Robert’s talks about the history of race and how it has come to be today.…

    • 823 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Lucy Pollard was farmer’s wife who was murdered in the county of Lunenburg, Virginia. In fact, many were accused of her death by an ax. Nonetheless, it seems this felony was not only a tragedy, but it shed some light on the question of the justice system of not only in the past, but also today. Understanding the written context that Lebsock presented displays the bigger picture of social and political patterns that have occurred throughout history. Although, times have proceeded to become more livable for minorities; however, this does not justify the behavior of the social and political constructs that continue to trump the constitutional belief of “innocent until proven guilty.”…

    • 1215 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Christopher Columbus is widely celebrated for his voyages to the Americas, which initiated the Spanish colonization of the New World. Paolo Emilio Taviani describes the great physical and mental attributes of Columbus. Taviani tries to convince his readers that Columbus is this brave and heroic superman. Columbus is traditionally viewed as a hero, but what is a hero? In my opinion a hero is courageous; a hero does not back down in the face of adversity and is willing to sacrifice himself for the betterment of humanity.…

    • 899 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In 1964, a giant step was taken by the people of America. Segregation was abolished and the hope for racial equality, in all senses, was high. Unfortunately, this giant step toward equality was not enough to actually get there. Many people of color face injustice to this day and biases based on the color of a person’s skin often determine where they end up in life. Walter Dean Myers writes about a 16-year old boy named Steve Harmon who is on trial for murder.…

    • 1159 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Jordan is able to analyze the problem of slavery through the negative stereotypes, racist laws, and the paradox of Thomas Jefferson. Ultimately, Winthrop D. Jordan wrote The White Man's Burden: Historical Origins of Racism in the United States to explain the origins of racism in the United States. In addition, the author wanted the reader to have a complete understanding that “white American attitudes toward black have done a great deal to shape and condition American responses to other racial minorities.” The institution of slavery was one of the greatest human tragedies in the United States.…

    • 1863 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Prejudice In the Society of Maycomb County “Prejudice is a learned trait. You’re not born prejudiced; you’re taught it.” Charles R. Swindoll once said. This quote relates to the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, because we see how racism in society influences the kids. Jem, Scout, and even Dill realize how the people of Maycomb treat others who are different than them.…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Racism, the belief that one race possesses inherent traits that make that particular race superior to other races. In 1900s black people were treated cruelly, and even got killed because of racism. They were considered inferior to the white race. People used to judge each other based on their skin color, and race. The society used to turn a blind eye to the racial problems.…

    • 766 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Tom Robinson Racism

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Maycomb County, the setting of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, has a deeply ingrained culture of racism over reason. Tom Robinson’s death was unjust, yet few mourned and the eventual death did not shock anyone. The reason for this tragedy is that Tom was too confident that people would show good morals when faced with a complicated decision. He made a series of poor choices that placed him in a difficult situation that even the best lawyer could not get him out of. Although Tom was framed, it was his own mistakes that enabled Bob Ewell to prosecute him in the first place.…

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lynching or trial by mob has been a popular way to punish upstarts in America for hundreds of years. According to history and legend, Judge Charles Lynch, was the first to coin the term for the practice in North America; during the mid-1700s. This method, rule and trial by mob, has been recorded throughout history; since the dawn of man. Whether you look at the mob that sent Christ to the cross or the pogroms in imperial Russia in the 1800s, this method of justice is timeless. In the piece “Lynch Law in America”, by Ida B. Wells, Mrs. Wells presents to the audience, a problem.…

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays