Yesterday was Random Acts of Kindness Day and we posted a logo from the Equal Justice Initiative on Facebook and Instagram.
I first learned about EJI in 2018 after reading founder, Bryan Stevenson’s book, “Just Mercy,” which is now a film. It was incredibly eye-opening to learn about the horrible injustice in our legal system and how people of color and in poverty face much harsher prison sentences due to the fact that they cannot afford good legal representation and in a lot of cases are subject to racist juries and judges.
One of the cases Stevenson writes about in his book really affected me. Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years on Death Row for a crime he didn’t commit. He was not given a fair trial in the Alabama courts and had insufficient legal help. After 12 years of litigation, Bryan Stevenson was finally able to help exonerate him. He is now a free man and has written a book called “The Sun Does Shine,” a truly inspiring read about his time in prison knowing he was innocent.
EJI works with communities that have been marginalized by racial inequality and economic hardship. They are committed to ending mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and protecting basic human rights.
In addition to Curio donating a percentage of each sale on the site, I recently had an art opening on Instagram (@the.minimodern) where all proceeds from sales will go to EJI. I hope you are able to visit and see the work.
You can find out more about this incredible organization at www.eji.org.