Thursday, March 31: Lecture and Book Signing - “American Injustice: Mercy, Humanity, and Making a Difference,” Bryan Stevenson, Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, Sottile Theatre, 44 George Street, Charleston, 6:00 pm

Co-sponsored by the College of Charleston’s Race and Social Justice Initiative and the Lowcountry Unity Fund with the Coastal Community Foundation funded by Google, Charleston County Public Library, SunTrust, and the Sophia Institute

America has the largest prison population in the world – and the criminal justice system that puts the men, women, and children in these prisons is broken. Excessive punishment and abuse are widespread, and the collateral consequences are devastating lives and communities. An inspiring and unflinchingly honest speaker, in this presentation Bryan Stevenson talks about defending some of America’s most rejected and marginalized people. The stories he tells are heartbreaking, yet inspiring, and motivate audiences to make a change.

Bryan Stevenson is the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative and one of the most acclaimed and respected lawyers in the nation. His memoir, Just Mercy, is the story of a young lawyer fighting on the frontlines of a country in thrall to extreme punishments and careless justice. It is an inspiring story of unbreakable humanity in the most desperate circumstances, and a powerful indictment of our broken justice system and the twisted values that allow it to continue. Stevenson is the recipient of numerous awards, including the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Grant and the NAACP Image Award for Best Non-Fiction, and was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People for 2015. Stevenson is a tenured law professor at New York University School of Law. For more information on this speaker, please visit www.prhspeakers.com.