The Repercussions of Inegalitarianism and Racial Disparities on Individuals’ Self-perception: An Analysis of the Film of Just Mercy (2019)

Abstract

In 1960s America, racial segregation was still ongoing, and black people were still being discriminated against and being classified into certain stereotypes. However, the complexities of racial discrimination and systemic injustices have been significant issues that have brought critical attention to America’s racial equality in general, and the criminal justice system in particular. Accordingly, the film Just Mercy portrays such intricacies. The film, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and released in 2019, is based on Bryan Stevenson’s memoir entitled Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. Therefore, through the analysis of the characters, this dissertation tends to scrutinize how racial bias affects the legal system. In this regard, the critical race theory will be applied to showcase how white privileged individuals abuse their position to manipulate justice to serve their own interests. Most importantly, this work traces the agonizing impact of racial inequality, as projected via the undue justice legal system, on the way characters perceive themselves and the world around them. The film clarifies that the complexities of systemic injustices contributed immensely to the feelings of unrest, regardless of blacks' struggle to attain an egalitarian and just society. Additionally, it discloses that characters’ internal struggle can be traced back to the impact of being at the edge of two identities, American and African, that are, in most cases, contrasted