by Kim Johnson
Random House, 2020
Author background: As a teen, Kim Johnson held leadership positions in social justice organizations. She was president of a multicultural club and the local youth NAACP chapter in high school. Now a college administrator, she mentors Black student activists and leaders. As a mom, she is very concerned about her young son and how he must grapple with the issues of racism in this country. When Johnson read the book, Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, she found the way Stevenson told his narrative as “approachable and humanizing”. Johnson knew then that literature was the way she could give voice to young people.
Every week, seventeen-year-old Tracy Beaumont writes letters to Innocence X, asking the organization to help her father, an innocent black man on death row accused of killing a white couple. Already incarcerated for seven years, Tracy’s dad has 267 days left when Jamal, Tracy’s older brother, is accused of killing his white girlfriend, Angela. Tracy is determined to prove her brother’s innocence by investigating what really happened between Jamal and Angela. Tracy risks her life, not only to prove her brother’s innocence, but to expose the injustice in the criminal justice system.
What works: Johnson effectively used a racially charged murder to expose the flaws and injustices in the criminal justice system. Portraying Tracy Beaumont as an investigative journalist for the school newspaper and an activist, Johnson uses Tracy as the voice and catalyst to engage young people into social justice. Johnson also portrays the human and emotional toll that injustice, systemic and structural racism impacts and affects the family. James Beaumont is a dad, husband, and an employee before he was incarcerated. Jamal Beaumont is a son, brother, and a high school student before he is accused of murdering Angela. Tracy and her mom manage to keep the family together in the midst of these challenges.
What doesn’t work: Some readers may not like the delicate Black and white relationship between Tracy and Dean. However, the setting is a majority white town in Texas. Few Blacks live in this town. At some point, Blacks and whites will interact, personally or professionally.
Pass it or grab it: Grab it! This story tells how one young person’s activism can make a difference. This novel can be a real discussion starter on activism and social justice. Additionally, teachers might want to use Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy and Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow as a companion to this novel. To further engage young people into activism and social justice, Johnson provides additional resources on these topics at the end of the novel.
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