Learn How to Make a Difference by reading Just Mercy
“Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson is a compelling real narrative about the power of kindness to heal us and a call to action to stop mass imprisonment in the United States, from one of the most inspiring attorneys of our time.
Throughout the book, Just Mercy tells the story of EJI, from its early days with a tiny team, facing the nation’s highest death sentence and execution rates, to a strong campaign to challenge the cruel practice of sending kids to die in prison, to revolutionary projects designed to confront Americans with our long history of racism injustice.
After he was wrongfully convicted of murdering a white lady, Walter McMillian became one of EJI’s first black clients. As a direct descendent of lynching, the death penalty in the United States is a system that rewards the wealthy and guilty more favorably than the poor and innocent. This issue is very acute nowadays, so if you are interested in its solutions, you can check essays on “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson available online. For sure, you will get some valuable insights from them. To learn how this book can help you make a difference in the world, keep reading the article!
- Discover Your Life’s Purpose and Follow Your Calling
Having a mission dear to your heart, one that you care deeply about, is a powerful motivator that may carry you through times of difficulty.
Among Stevenson’s professed interests are assisting the destitute, the jailed, and the condemned. It’s also shown that he cares greatly about the convicts’ dignity and significance in both the book and the movie. The desire to be heard and recognized is shared by everybody. For the first time, many of the detainees Stevenson worked with felt heard and understood.
Due to previous failures, the convicts greeted Stevenson with suspicion. Because they didn’t want their hopes shattered again. So they made an effort to frighten him away much as they would a stray dog. When they turned to make sure he was gone, they saw him still there, waiting. Finally, they decided to let him into their lives.
Stevenson’s cases make eyes pop. When he was putting up the EJI, his first client stated he didn’t care if Stevenson got him out of jail; he simply wanted to be heard. The guy discovered that the guards had softened after failing to prevent his electric chair execution, asking him if they could aid him and bring him meals as needed. This was the first time he had ever been offered assistance in a life of physical and sexual abuse that had led to drug use.
They could have had a better life even if he wasn’t successful in getting them out of jail. In a different version of Just Mercy, Bryan’s family and friends praise his commitment.
“Bryan is the work,” says Sia Sanneh, a coworker. “He can’t be separated from his job in any manner. He puts everything he’s got into it.” Jamiles Latry
- Count Your Blessings
Finding out what you’re good at is the first step in making a list of your gifts for the world to see. There are many talents and expertise that you can bring to the table even if you’ve never done social justice work. And if you know what inspires you, you’ll be able to find the perfect activism work for you. Make sure your action has a team component if you enjoy working with others.
Stevenson enrolled at the Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard Law School at the same time. Hence , he came to work with a clear set of abilities and know-how. However, in Just Mercy, he recalls how he found the material to be distant from what he thought until he took a month-long class on Class, Race, and Poverty Litigation. As a result of his involvement in this course, he was able to put his legal and public policy training to good use in helping a marginalized group.
- Identify the Most Effective Strategy for Social Change
If you want to be an activist, select something that you like and stick with it. There are various ways to do this. Stevenson deviates a little from the advice in this section. When it comes to his job, it’s a lot more difficult and heartbreaking than what’s shown in the book. White folks deliberately work to obstruct him. Possibly, he is sustained by his actual enthusiasm and the work he does.
Decide which type of activism is most effective for you. Also, evaluate whether you can have the most influence on a cause before making a commitment. These questions might help you determine whether or not your advocacy efforts are worthwhile.
- Is your work going to have a significant impact on a huge number of people?
- Is it possible to effect real change?
- What percentage of the problem is actually addressed?
- How can I use my abilities and passions to make a positive impact?
The fact that Stevenson attended Harvard Law School suggests that there were several professional opportunities available to him after graduation. In the end, he picked a path that would allow him to make a difference for his mission.
Lawyering for the impoverished and those who have been wrongly or unfairly punished, Stevenson has changed countless people’s lives.
- Stay inspired
Advocacy requires a sustained effort by those involved in it. Set acceptable goals and take time for self-care for those who work in risky and tragic fields like Stevenson’s.
A genuine way out of the problems cannot be discovered in an hour with Stevenson, but the paradox is that despite his many issues, he is a wonderfully uplifted person to be around – kind, intellectual, and with dazzling humor that lights up the dystopia he paints. He maintains a hopeful outlook, pointing to the improvements made by the LAPD even after the Rodney King tragedy.
To his credit, Stevenson was able to shift attitudes against mass imprisonment with the release of Just Mercy, which opened up dialogue amongst white people regarding race and other painful aspects of our past.
How we treat the impoverished, the disenfranchised, the accused, the detained, and the condemned is a true reflection of our character.
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