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Author, Attorney Bryan Stevenson On Racial Injustice And How To Address It

Nina Subin

This conversation originally aired on May 9th, 2016. 

When attorney Bryan Stevenson graduated from Harvard Law School in 1985, he dedicated himself to helping poor and incarcerated people, many of whom were wrongly convicted and condemned to death. In 1989, he founded the Equal Rights Initiative in Montgomery, AL, and he has been a tireless advocate for death row inmates, prisoners with mental illness and children who have been prosecuted as adults.
 
His work bringing to light the effects of race and poverty in the criminal justice system has earned him dozens of awards, including a MacArthur genius grant, the American Civil Liberties Union's National Medal of Liberty, and the 2000 Olaf Palme Prize in Sweden, one of the most prestigious awards for work in international human rights.
 
Desmond Tutu called Stevenson “America’s young Nelson Mandela.” Stevenson is the author of a best-selling memoir called Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption.

This Wednesday evening, May 11th, he’ll be speaking here in Baltimore at the Joseph Myerhoff Symphony Hall at an event celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Public Justice Center, which works to fight the causes of injustice, poverty and discrimination.
 
Bryan Stevenson joins Tom this morning on the phone from his office in Montgomery, Alabama.

Host, Midday (M-F 12:00-1:00)
Rob is a contributing producer for Midday.