Knowledge is Power In Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

So many people’s lives could be saved if they could just know their rights. Dasic Fernandez is an artist who wants to inform the people from Long Island City of their rights. In a BuzzFeed article, “Educating People About Their Rights, One Mural At At Time,” by Emily Raboteau (2016), Emily Raboteau wrote an article in allude of the Charleston church massacre in South Carolina. The Charleston Church Massacre was a tragic event where Dylann Roof, a twenty-two-year-old white supremacist, massacred nine African American parishioners. He was condemned to death by a federal jury. In Raboteau article, she was very passionate about the impact of murals had in low-income communities. Raboteau emphasized the values, meaning, and significance of the mural. Murals can be very powerful to stand up to the authority.

Rights are very important to be knowledgeable about in order to fight injustice. In Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, the author reflects about his encounter with the SWAT team, “When I thought about what I would have done when I was sixteen years old or nineteen or even twenty-four, I was scared to realize that I might have run. The more I thought about it, the more concerned I became about all the young black boys and men in the neighborhood. Did they know not to run? Did they know to stay calm and say, “It’s okay”?”(43) He put himself in the shoes of his African American neighbors and realized that he would of also ran if he was not fully informed of what to do when encountering the police. Stevenson reflected on how his profession as a lawyer made him more informed about his rights and aware of the consequences if he ran from the police. Many people of color have been killed for small infractions just because the police felt “scared for their life.” There is police brutality that target African Americans more than Caucasians. It is very important to inform people of color of what they must do when encountering the police. No one should be killed without knowing their rights.

This mural caught my attention because of the powerful message that the mural conveys. The mural states, “If you are HARRASSED by police write down the officer BADGE number, name and/or other identifying information Take PICTURES of any INJURIES.” The mural’s message is very important because it persuades victims of police to brutality to take note of those who abuse their power. Victims of brutality must document the situation and report it. Also, Fernandez wrote in Spanish, “UD NO TIENE QUE ESTAR DE ACUERDO DE SI MISMO, SU CARRO O SU CASA NO PARE FÍSICAMENTE A LA POLICÍA DIGA QUE NO DA PERMISO PARA EL CHEQUEO.” This phrase can be translated to “You don’t have to agree with yourself, your car nor your house. Don’t stop physically and tell the police that you don’t give permission for the revision of your things. The phrase shows that people don’t have to comply with the police without knowing the circumstances. In the present world, many African Americans are killed by the police without knowing what was happening. They were caught by surprise.

This is unlawful by all means. Murals are very important to have in communities, especially in low-income communities. It is significant to the members of the community to shows the issues of society. This image of the mural has an important message. The picture shows a presumably African American man who is wearing all black clothes walking by the mural. One may assume that the man has encountered with a police officer as keeps his head down walking ahead. One interpretation could be that the man did not even read the mural because he believes that he won’t make a difference in society. African Americans are already at a disadvantage, “One in every fifteen people born in the United States in 2001 is expected to go to jail or prison; one in every three black males babies born in this century is expected to be incarcerated.” (Stevenson, 15) African Americans need to be aware of their right and defy the stereotypes.

Fernández reinforces his message by using social media to aware others of the mural and its significance. Minorities need to stand up to the injustice of their community. This photo of the mural is very effective in informing the community about their rights when encountering the police. Police brutality and killings of people from African American descent is an issue that must be addressed and solved. Not only African Americans, but minorities need to speak up and not be afraid of the consequences. Murals bring a sense of unity to the community and they have very meaningful messages.