Bryan Stevenson: We Need to Talk About an Injustice

I recently watched a Ted Talk from 2012. We Need To Talk About an Injustice is a shocking and personal speech given by Bryan Stevenson, a human rights lawyer, talking about the struggles that African Americans, and more specifically African American children face in the court system.

Stevenson gives riveting facts about the court and justice system and how the African American race is affected by it. The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, with nearly 2.3 million people in jails and prisons. Nearly one out of  every three black men, between the ages of 18 and 30, are in prison, jail or on parole. And in urban communities, such as Los Angeles, Baltimore and Washington, nearly 50 to 60 percent of all young men of color are in jail, prison, on parole or probation.

Stevenson represents children, of all people. He talks about thirteen year-olds being sentenced to life in prison, without parole, for crimes they've committed when their brains aren't fully developed. I understand that a crime is a crime, and consequences are mandatory. But sentencing a thirteen year-old to life in prison comes as a shock to me. My little sister is twelve, I shudder with the thought of only being able to talk to her in a prison visiting room, with guards at every wall. I shudder when I think of how scared she would be, all she would want was to be at home, able to sleep in her own bed.

Race is an undoubtable issue in America today, I feel it always has been. I would like to think, or hope at least, that racism is in the past. But I know it's not. In the 50's, African Americans had to worry about being beaten, lynched or arrested while they were protesting for the right to be equal.

In the talk, Stevenson says that you're 11 times more likely to get the death penalty if the victim is white, than if the victim is black. And you're 22 times more likely to get the death penalty if the defendant is black and the victim is white. This is an injustice!

Stevenson states that, "we have in this country this dynamic where we really don't like to talk about our problems." I wholeheartedly agree with this. Unfortunately, it feels like much of our past and history gets shoved under the rug. We're embarrassed, by our actions, and the actions of our forefathers.

Have you ever done something, something that you know was wrong, even if it's the tiniest thing? It eats away at you, and you can never forget until you just admit what you did was wrong, then you'll be able to move on.

As I've so gracefully stated in a multiple of my other blog posts, education is key to a successful society. When we can acknowledge our wrongs, and plan for better outcomes, the world and the worldly processes with fall into place. Things will be grand and peaceful (as peaceful as they can be) and hopefully we'll all be able to coexist.

I hope you take twenty three minutes and forty one seconds out of your day to watch this inspiring speech, given by an inspiring human being.

"I've come to TED because I believe that many of you understand that the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice. That we cannot be full evolved human beings until we care about human rights and basic dignity. That all of our survival is tied to the survival of everyone. That our visions of technology and design and entertainment and creativity have to be married with visions of humanity, compassion and justice. And more than anything, for those of you who share that, I've simply come to tell you to keep your eyes on the prize, hold on." -Bryan Stevenson

stay peaceful!!