About Community Reads
Community Foundation of North Louisiana invites any and all in the community to join Community Reads, a book club led by CFNLA. We encourage community members to join us as we read about issues like poverty, education, addiction, mental health, blight, and criminal justice reform. Each quarter CFNLA will announce a new book selection. At the end of the quarter, we will invite up to 25 community members to participate in a group discussion and dialogue about the book. Discussion events will take place in both the Shreveport-Bossier area and Ruston. Interested community members may join the book club or simply sign up to receive Community Reads updates at the link above.
Need a copy of the book? Visit the Shreve Memorial Library website to find and reserve digital, print, and audiobook editions.
Winter 2020 Selection: Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson
About the Book
Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.
Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice.
Discussion Event – Shreveport-Bossier
The discussion event will be held on Thursday, February 20, 5:30-6:30 PM at Nader’s Gallery and will be moderated by Michael Hicks, Assistant Professor of Education at Centenary College of Louisiana.
Discussion Event – Ruston
A new book club is being launched in Ruston! The Just Mercy discussion event will take place on Thursday, March 19. Be on the look out for more details to come and sign up for the newsletter to receive updates.