IRC invites participants to read book on social justice, mass incarceration for Martin Luther King, Jr. celebrations

The Inclusive Reading Club (IRC) is inviting staff, faculty and students to read Bryan Stevenson’s “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption” for a moderated discussion by Dr. Theresa Ladrigan-Whelpley, vice president for mission integration, and Dr. Timothy Neary, chairman and professor of history. This event will be held via Zoom on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 4 p.m. To register, please go to McKillop Library’s event page here.

“Just Mercy” recounts the unforgettable true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to end mass incarceration in America — from one of the most inspiring lawyers of our time. Stevenson, who founded the Alabama nonprofit law office Equal Justice Initiative, has dedicated his life to defending the poor, the incarcerated and the wrongly condemned.

With a small staff facing the nation’s highest death sentencing and execution rates, EJI led a successful campaign to challenge the cruel practice of sentencing children to die in prison, and initiated revolutionary projects designed to confront the country’s history of racial injustice.

To request a free copy of the book while supplies last, send an email to salvelibrarian@salve.edu. Participants can also read chapter excerpts from the book, and those PDFs can be downloaded here.

This particular IRC program is happening in conjunction with the University’s newly enhanced MLK Week, which will include three full days of events that will explore the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with a focus on two of the Sisters of Mercy’s critical concerns, anti-racism and non-violence. More details on MLK Week’s events will be forthcoming, but reading the book “Just Mercy” can be started now in order to prepare for the IRC’s event for those interested in participating.

To register for the IRC on Jan. 21, please go to McKillop Library’s event page here.