payment page
Walter McMillian, a pleasant, hard-working African American man from rural Monroe County, Alabama, lacks any formal education but wisely sees the downward trend in the cotton farming industry and starts his own pulpwood business. From the outset, McMillian is smart, charming, honest, and good at what he does, so he develops a good reputation in Monroe County even though racism is rampant in the region. McMillian builds a good life for his wife and family until he gains negative attention for having an affair with a young white woman, showing how precarious life can be for people of color. Many people in 1980s Alabama still hold a strong prejudice against interracial relationships, so McMillian’s reputation plummets when the relationship comes out even though nothing else about him has changed. McMillian symbolizes the many people being punished, and even sentenced to death, not for their own crimes but because of a justice system that consistently mistreats disadvantaged people. McMillian’s story demonstrates how the unjust treatment of disfavored people is compounded by systemic racism in the justice system. McMillian also symbolizes hope in darkness as he continues to believe in his future release from death row during the six-year fight. McMillian’s sense of humor and ability to connect with others makes him a powerful advocate for social justice as well as a likable character. McMillian’s story becomes the central thread of Just Mercy because it shows how the history of slavery is directly linked to modern-day problems in the justice system. Despite his positive nature, McMillian’s belief that he’s back on death row while he’s in a care facility shows that his wrongful imprisonment left him with inescapable trauma.
