Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Aligns with the quote. “In America, nobody says you have to keep the circumstances somebody else gives you” -Amy Tam. While the story of Walter McMillian includes corruption and unfair treatment, Bryan Stevenson’s role aligns with Amy Tam’s statement. Being a black man, Bryan Stevenson has experienced unjust treatment. Towards the beginning of the novel, Stevenson writes about his own experiences with police brutality and being wrongfully treated like a criminal. When Stevenson is peacefully sitting in his car, listening to the radio, a SWAT member racially profiles Stevenson. During their interaction Stevenson recounts, “I was just listening to the radio.” He placed my hands on the car and bent me over the back of the vehicle” (41). This unwarranted and shocking response highlights the common relationship between …show more content…
Oftentimes, Walter Mcmillian’s case was altered or negatively influenced by corruption and unfair treatment due to biases. When Bryan Stevenson, Walter Mcmillian’s lawyer, has to forcefully enter the courtroom, he is greeted by a completely white courtroom. He recounts, “I pushed by the deputy, opened the door, and saw that the entire courtroom had been altered” (174) From the start, Walter had been set up to fail, due to racial biases he had been given bad “circumstances.” The lack of black representation in the jury and even in the crowd shows how the police and court set up the case to only be surrounded by prejudiced opinions. Stevenson defends the unfairly judged and persecuted. Whether they had committed crimes not worthy of death, or simply had not committed any crime, Stevenson is connected to countless cases working to fight against their “circumstances.” Bryan Stevenson’s commitment to cases like Walter McMillian’s shows his dedication to ideas like Amy Tams