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2016-17 Campus Read
In the 2016-17 academic year, the WVU campus and community explored the American justice system through Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, by Bryan Stevenson.
"The opposite of poverty is justice"
The Campus Read book selection for the 2016-2017 academic year was Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, by Bryan Stevenson.In this memoir, Stevenson recounts his time in the American South working with inmates on death row, starting when he was an intern unsure of what to do with his life. His experience led him to work for justice within a flawed legal system.
A Harvard Law graduate, Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending the poor, the wrongly convicted, women and children.
"You ultimately judge the civility of a society not by how it treats the rich, the powerful, the protected and the highly esteemed, but by how it treats the poor, the disfavored and the disadvantaged," Bryan Stevenson says in the book.
Students reported that they were moved and enlightened by this powerful story. To learn more about the author, read Bryan Stevenson's biography page on the Equal Justice Initiative website.
NOMINATE A BOOK FOR 2025-2026
Do you know a book that would stimulate conversation and engage the campus and community?