Just Mercy:
Just Mercy is one of the most moving films I have ever seen. Ever since I saw it in theatres, I have told everyone I know that they need to watch it, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to share my love for the film with as many people as I could. It follows the true story of Brian Stevenson, an African American activist lawyer, and his fight to right the wrongs of institutionalized racism in the criminal justice system, particularly focusing on the case of a wrongfully convicted murderer, Walter McMillian. The movie gives the viewer a broader look at racial prejudice, poverty, and institutionalized racism through the lens of McMillian’s case. It tells the story of many death row inmates as well as McMillian, and it truly allows the viewer to gain a new perspective on criminal justice as a whole. Mark Kermode from The Guardian says it best. He describes the inmates as people “whose guilt or innocence becomes secondary to the grotesque spectre of capital punishment” (source).
I found it extremely demoralizing to see the struggles Stevenson endured due to his race, even as a Harvard educated lawyer, and that he was still treated with such disrespect and disdain. The many miscarriages of justice displayed in the film filled me with rage, but I think that such a feeling is important to have in order to spark change in the world. It was inspiring to see how Stevenson still treated everyone he met with kindness and professionalism, and how he stayed true to himself in spite of all the barriers that were put in front of him. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I cried at the end (and many times during it as well) and it’s just such an amazing movie. This film is one that I truly believe every single person should see.
The Confession Tapes:
I just recently finished The Confession Tapes, a TV show (on Netflix) that has truly changed my view on the justice system as a whole. The series details criminal justice cases in which false confessions were made (either coerced, or unintentional etc.). Race plays a large part in the cases in season 1 episode 5, and season 2 episode 4.
The Innocence Files:
After finishing The Confession Tapes, I began watching The Innocence Files, a series about a group of attorneys and lawyers called “The Innocence Project”. The Innocence Project “fight[s] for criminal justice reform, and exonerate[s] wrongfully convicted individuals”. The episodes suggested (1-3 “The Evidence”) involve two African-American men who were wrongfully accused of murder, in a town with an extremely racially charged history. This particular set of episodes focuses on the misleading information that bite mark analysis creates, the pitfalls of criminal Odontology, and how it led to the wrongful conviction of two men.