Page 58 - ATT DEI Annual Report
P. 58
From True Justice
to Just Mercy
F or more than three decades, Alabama public interest career – particularly his crusade against racism in the U.S. Intro Employees Communities Customers Content Suppliers Awards
attorney Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director criminal justice system, while tracing the intertwined histories
of the Equal Justice Initiative, has advocated on behalf of the of slavery, lynching, segregation and mass incarceration.
poor, the incarcerated and the condemned. In 2019, HBO and
Warner Bros. released films highlighting Stevenson’s career WARNER BROS.’ JUST MERCY
and mission to reform the criminal justice system. Directed and co-written by Destin Daniel Cretton,
“Just Mercy” tells the true story of a young Stevenson,
“Filmmakers have always wanted to focus on litigation and
played by Michael B. Jordan, and his fight to defend
that never seemed in the best interests of our clients. We’re
Walter McMillian, played by Jamie Foxx, a man wrongfully
very protective of our clients,” said Stevenson, who eventually
convicted of murder and sentenced to death.
decided to change his approach. “It’s become clearer to me
that if we don’t do more work out of court to change the way 58
“Just Mercy” launched WarnerMedia’s Diversity & Inclusion
people think and talk about and understand these issues, our
Production Policy, which was crafted in collaboration with
work in court is not going to be effective.” Jordan. The companywide policy requires all productions
to take extra steps to commit to greater inclusion of
HBO’S TRUE JUSTICE: BRYAN STEVENSON’S FIGHT women, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, those AT&T D&I Annual Report 2019
FOR EQUALITY with disabilities and other underrepresented groups in
This feature documentary focuses on Stevenson’s life and greater numbers both in front of and behind the camera.
