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Group Values In Just Mercy By Bryan Stevenson

Decent Essays

In Bryan Stevenson’s book, Just Mercy, he addresses the hardships faced by African Americans in society and in the legal justice system. Through the author’s efforts to accomplish changes in our legal system, he utilizes three different group values including: common purpose, collaboration, and controversy with civility. All three of these groups values are interconnected and different in their own way and are essential in accomplishing social change. Collaboration, common purpose, and collaboration are all important for a groups working together to achieve a common goal. The common purpose is the group’s shared vision and accurately sets out the values that the group hopes to possess. In order to find this common purpose the group must first …show more content…

In contrast, controversy with civility can happen with two people without the same common purpose in mind. In Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson shows that controversy with civility can be used without common purpose. He has thoughtful conversations on multiple occasions where he and the other person have differing views-mostly on race. But Stevenson handles each of these examples in a civil way. Also collaboration can happen without controversy with civility between two people discussing a viewpoint on the same side. Stevenson utilizes each of these key values in his book to achieve social …show more content…

The author collaborates with his fellow staff, the family and community of Walter to plan a case to prove his innocence. Without proper collaboration the author would not be able to prove Walter’s innocence and have Ralph Myer’s change of heart to testify truthfully. The author also shows common purpose through the relentless to free Walter of all charges. Without sticking to the common purpose of the family of Walter and Bryan’s staff, Walter would never have been exonerated. This highlights the importance of a good common purpose and without one, true change can not be achieved. This example also shows controversy with civility when the black women did not attend the first day of court because of the guard dogs and her prior trauma from Selma. On the second day, she decides to face her fears and comes into the courtroom and even explains to the court that they could not keep her from there. This shows controversy with civility with the women facing her fears and speaking out against the authoritative and letting her voice and opinion be heard. These values all tie into leadership and

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