Bryan Stevenson, the New York Times bestselling author of “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption,” will kick off the 2015 One Book, One Community program with a special visit to the East Lansing-Michigan State University community Aug. 30-31.
This year’s OBOC theme is "A Community Conversation on Justice, Human Rights and Compassion."
As a young Harvard-educated attorney, Stevenson chose to fight for the rights of wrongly incarcerated inmates, eventually saving more than 115 men from death row. Stevenson is the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama, which provides pro bono defense for inmates whose cases show bias, judicial neglect and incompetence. He also is a professor of clinical law at New York University School of Law.
The 2015 OBOC program also includes “The House I Live In,” a documentary film by Eugene Jarecki.
Both selections by Stevenson and Jarecki have been instrumental in raising the nation’s consciousness of how institutionalized bias and punitive legislation have denied the rights of many Americans and tarnished human rights in the United States.
There are two opportunities for community members to see Stevenson during his East Lansing visit:
An Evening with Bryan Stevenson 7 p.m., Aug. 30
Stevenson will kick off the month-long OBOC program with a talk at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center. He will discuss his experiences, answer questions and sign books. Attendees will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free.
The kickoff will also be streamed live, archived online and available via an on-demand playback at www.livestream.com/msualumni/2015OBOC, courtesy of the MSU Alumni Association. In addition, the talk also will be replayed on East Lansing’s government Ch. 22 on Sundays and Mondays at noon and 8 p.m. and will be made available to borrow at the East Lansing Public Library, 950 Abbot Road, beginning Sept. 4.
MSU Academic Welcome 9 a.m., Aug. 31
Stevenson will speak to the incoming class at the MSU Academic Welcome at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center, 1 Birch Road. Admission is free and the public is welcome.
Community and campus events
A series of community and campus events centered on the themes of the book will take place Aug. 30-Sept. 30, including films, a panel discussion and a visit from Jarecki.
On Sept. 16, Jarecki will speak about his documentary at 7 p.m. at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts. This program is jointly sponsored by OBOC and the World View Lecture Series. The event is ticketed. Visit www.whartoncenter.com for ticket information.
About the program
The annual OBOC program, sponsored by the city of East Lansing and MSU, encourages the city-university community to read the same book and come together to discuss it in a variety of settings. The 2015 program is supported by Project 60/50, Friends of the East Lansing Public Library, MSU Federal Credit Union, WKAR / Public Media from MSU and the Michigan Humanities Council.
For additional information, including a list of other OBOC events, please visit www.onebookeastlansing.com.