0:00

Welcome everyone. Thank

0:03

you for joining us for this very exciting

0:05

evening for the very special film

0:07

Just Mercy. We're going to start things

0:09

off by spending time with a simply put

0:12

one of the most inspiring people you will ever

0:14

meet, a hero of our generation, Brian

0:17

Stevenson. We're

0:20

honored to have three people here who need

0:22

no introduction, Ladies and gentlemen.

0:24

Here's the star and producer of Just Mercy,

0:27

Michael B. Jordan, joined by

0:29

two more of the film stars, Oscar winning

0:31

actors Jamie Fox and Brie

0:33

Larson. They can't wait for

0:35

you to meet the extraordinary person at the center

0:37

of Just Mercy, Brian Stevenson,

0:40

a hero of our generation who has been a

0:42

bold voice for the voiceless and has

0:44

fearlessly stood up for justice when told

0:47

to sit down in the crowd.

0:49

We have some special guests, three members

0:51

of the film's remarkable cast who all

0:53

give out standing performances, Rob

0:56

Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson and

0:58

Kiron Kendrick. They

1:01

are joined by our hosts, who needs no

1:03

introduction. Please welcome to

1:05

the stage, the popular and always outspoken

1:08

hosts of the Breakfast Club and my

1:10

friend Charlemagne. Y'all

1:13

feeling this evening. What's happening? We're

1:18

here to talk a little just mercy, Michael

1:20

B. Jordan, what's happened to my brother? Doing good? How you doing? Man?

1:23

I wasn't important to tell Brian's story.

1:25

I mean for a number of reasons. I think once I

1:27

discovered who Brian Stevenson was, and I'm very

1:29

embarrassed that, you know, four or five years ago, I wasn't

1:31

that familiar with him or his work. You

1:33

know, I felt like it's

1:36

something that's timely. You know, this case,

1:38

the story took place, you know, over thirty years ago,

1:41

but it's still relevant to today. You know, it's

1:43

still going on obviously, And if

1:45

I could take this story and

1:48

get it out to the masses and keep that conversation

1:50

going, if I could do my part and use my platform

1:53

to make this a global thing, to make this a human

1:55

thing, I was going to do everything I could

1:57

to kind of get that done. And after meeting Brian

2:00

and uh, really realizing the impact

2:02

of the work that he's doing year, it's

2:05

uh it's hard to not feel

2:07

moved and not feel like you want to be a part of the solution

2:09

and be a part of a change. How did you how

2:11

did this story come across your radar? Um through through

2:14

my agency? It was something that um, you know, as

2:16

an opportunity for me to uh to want

2:18

to tell the story. When I first met Brian, I

2:20

had a feeling that he was, you know, he was auditioning

2:22

me, like if I was worthy enough to kind

2:24

of to tell his story, because um,

2:27

you know, he's a very humble person.

2:29

He's not you know, a guy who likes a lot of attention.

2:31

He does his work behind closed doors, and

2:33

and it really makes impact and

2:35

um and and and I

2:37

felt honored to be able to tell

2:40

this story. You know, he's nobody's perfect,

2:42

but he's damned he's damned close. And

2:44

that pressure to to do him

2:46

justice and not to let him down is something that really

2:49

stayed up my mind as that we developed and worked

2:51

on and on the movie. Briand

2:54

did he do a good job? Brian, Oh, he does an

2:56

amazing job. I think one of the things

2:58

that I most excited about is the

3:00

extraordinary performances

3:02

that all of these amazing actors do. I

3:04

mean, for me, I've always believed that if I could

3:07

get people to see what I see on a

3:09

regular basis, if I could get them to understand

3:11

the humanity and the dignity of the people that I

3:13

represent, and what's lost when we

3:15

treat people unfairly and unjustly, when

3:18

we crush hopes and we traumatize

3:20

and abuse people, that people would want

3:22

the same things that I want. And

3:24

I wasn't sure that was achievable until

3:26

I met Michael. And I

3:29

was very apprehensive about having the book turned

3:31

into a movie, because a lot of times Hollywood

3:33

doesn't actually get the story right. They compromise.

3:36

But Michael was aligned and

3:39

he wanted to do it in the right way. And Deston

3:41

had that same vision. And not only is

3:43

Michael an amazingly talented

3:45

actor, he's somebody who cares deeply about

3:48

these issues. And his commitment

3:50

to the issues and getting it right is what gave me

3:52

hope. And then when Jamie came, and Breed came,

3:54

and the other members of the cast came, I began

3:56

to get excited about what might

3:59

happen we lifted the veil,

4:01

and what's happening in this country. I mean, our country

4:03

has the highest rate of incarceration in the

4:05

world. We have put millions of people in jails

4:08

and prisons. We're putting children in adult

4:10

prisons. We're executing people who are innocent.

4:13

We have condemned people unfairly, and

4:15

we haven't responded the way a just nation

4:17

should respond. So we have to wake people up.

4:20

And I'm hoping that the storytelling in this film

4:22

will get people engaged in a way where they

4:25

leave the theaters prepared to do something

4:27

that it doesn't end when the film is over. And that's

4:29

what really motivates me when

4:31

I see the film, and what excites me about the performances.

4:35

Gree Larthen, how

4:37

are you hello?

4:39

Are we on the radio?

4:42

Yeah? No? Oh it just said, oh

4:46

no, I heart radio. Is that's

4:49

why it says that okay, got it? Yeah?

4:51

But you play Eva and who

4:54

was then allied to the community. Um, what

4:56

was it like for you to portray her? Oh?

5:00

It was incredible. I

5:02

got to be with Michael B. Jordan like all

5:04

the time. It

5:07

was just wonderful. You know. Destin, who directed

5:10

the film, is like my family is my

5:12

brother and and um,

5:15

when I heard that he was telling the story, I

5:17

had read Brian's book a couple of years prior.

5:21

I was just so moved by him and by his

5:23

story, and uh, and

5:25

Michael wanted me to be there. So for

5:27

me, it was about doing the

5:30

work that I needed to do to show up, to

5:32

dissolve myself, to just

5:34

be there, to listen and to hold space

5:36

and to explore what that

5:38

felt like and it felt so good?

5:41

Or what did the story of Bryan

5:43

Stevenson taught you? To

5:46

get very very close to everything.

5:49

Even just today doing press all day, I

5:52

have a new person sitting in front of me every

5:55

three minutes, and it's amazing to watch your mind

5:57

run with how your brain wants

5:59

to quant to fight any person that's in

6:01

front of you and to really work to kind

6:03

of push that away and to go who

6:05

are you? Because I most definitely

6:08

don't know, but I know we have a lot in common. And

6:10

that's what Brian taught me. Dope,

6:13

Jamie Fox, what's happening to

6:15

my brother? What's up? I wasn't for you to

6:17

portray? Portray your character? And how

6:20

to Brian help you with the role. Well, first

6:22

of all, just I mean meeting Brian

6:24

is just incredible

6:27

and effect that Michael playing

6:30

and then they both look they you know, both

6:33

be in the gym, so you know, like

6:36

it all worked out because

6:40

I thought, when you're saying you were auditioned for him, but I

6:42

know he was telling people, Yeah, you know, it might be Jordan's

6:44

playing a minute, Come

6:47

on, man, but

6:50

what what what Brian Stevens have done is

6:52

so important because he doesn't fatigue

6:55

when we have black issues, It'll

6:57

be a black issue for thirty minutes on ourselves own

7:00

or whatever we have our revolution

7:03

about for forty five minutes

7:05

behind our gates, and

7:08

then we fatigue. Brian

7:10

Stevenson works tiresly to

7:13

change the perception of us. That's

7:15

why I'm happy to Michael B. Jordan called me.

7:17

I was humble to get that call to

7:19

find out that he was doing his story.

7:22

And it's important because we

7:24

have to get into these narratives and really do something

7:27

about him. Because we were dealing

7:29

with this in Texas, people

7:32

being wrongly accused and placed

7:34

in prison to die,

7:37

and the fact that the perception of a black

7:39

man is so it's

7:41

so a matter of fact that we're

7:43

able to allow it to happen and

7:46

we sit either not mute or just don't

7:48

know about it. So and I think

7:51

when it comes to Michael B. Jordan you have to commend

7:53

him for what he did behind

7:55

the camera and in front of the camera.

7:58

It's his first movie. He produced city.

8:01

He has the inclusion Act where he has

8:03

you know, everybody who's represented behind

8:06

closed doors, and you think about this. He could do anything

8:08

wanted. He's a big star. Yeah,

8:11

but I know you like me, Like when

8:13

he laid that railroad, that groundwork

8:15

in Fruitville Station, and

8:17

he laid that narrative where he spoke

8:20

for us, And I told you, I went with some I

8:22

went with some homies. I went with the thugs to

8:24

go see that movie, and there was sniffles because

8:28

because of how you you touch us. And then

8:31

to go from there to Kill Monger,

8:34

biggest movie on the planet and

8:37

Black Panther. But he took the same narrative

8:40

with him at the biggest

8:42

level of his career. And

8:44

so now just mercy is

8:47

the artistic sentence that's being

8:49

finished, but not that's not the only sentence. And

8:51

I think that's what's great about the

8:53

film. This is the most important film I've been

8:55

a part of, and I

8:57

think that that we should make sure we get

9:00

it is it's the most important.

9:03

I'm gonna tell you why it's the most important

9:05

because of perception, Like I

9:08

don't like to visit people in jail because

9:11

I don't want to see that. I don't want to get used to seeing

9:13

family members or anything like. I don't want to see

9:15

that. My father went to jail for twenty

9:18

five dollars worth of illegal substance. They

9:20

put him in jail for seven years. This

9:23

man educated black

9:25

studies in South Dallas for twenty

9:27

five years. The very students

9:29

that he used to have the judge

9:32

come and preside and come talk

9:34

to the kids. That judge presided

9:36

over his case put him in

9:38

jail. Next two kids that he taught.

9:41

But they don't understand that that that black man

9:44

taught me how to swim, that

9:46

black man taught me how to throw a football, told me how to play

9:48

tennis. And so I'm not learning to play tennis because I want you

9:50

to know all of it, so you

9:52

know, you know it's a it's

9:55

a thing that I'm familiar with, and that The good part about

9:57

that is is that when he got out,

9:59

I the one letter I say, you come stay with me.

10:01

I got on. Now you can come stay with me and

10:04

you and I want to change your life.

10:06

Now. This man taught me

10:08

how to play tennis. The good part about their stories that I

10:10

got a chance to take him to the US open

10:14

and let him watch Venus and Serena

10:16

play. So

10:19

so when that man watched this movie about

10:22

what was going on, I watched him, you

10:24

know, I

10:26

watched him get you know weak, you

10:29

know, right, because because these stories

10:32

almost every single day. So that's why

10:34

I say it's the most important film I've ever

10:36

been. Wow, Michael

10:41

is it is it hard to get white

10:43

Hollywood executives to make these kind of stories.

10:46

I feel like this movie for me. First of all,

10:48

getting any movie is really hard to get done, especially

10:52

one with a message like this. I feel

10:54

like for me in this project,

10:57

I can't say that it was hard to get done. You

11:00

know from from you know, Warner Brothers

11:02

ran towards this movie. Uh, they knew

11:04

it wasn't a cash cat, it wasn't one of their

11:06

huge blockbuster movies, but they felt like it was very

11:08

important. UM parlay

11:11

my relationship with them at my overall

11:14

deal there. Um, they

11:16

ran towards the inclusion writer that I that

11:18

I implemented with my production company.

11:21

They collaborated with my team for

11:23

all of Warner Media. So now Warner Media

11:26

has the Inclusion Act in there, and that's how

11:28

they hire through all of Warner Media, which

11:30

is a huge first step. It's a huge precedents

11:32

that set with that company, which

11:35

is so a

11:37

person of a minority,

11:39

somebody from the LBGTQ community, some

11:41

of an unrepresented group has to be heavily

11:43

considered for a department head in front

11:46

of the camera and a major role within the movie. And

11:48

that's something it's it's it's something that on

11:50

paper, a mandate that you know, can

11:52

hold people somewhat accountable. It's not

11:55

full bulletproof, it's not full full

11:57

force, but it's something that they buy.

12:00

It's a mandated the company works under. So

12:02

that was a huge first step. We have a lot more steps

12:04

to go, but it was it was a nice first move. I

12:07

feel like the timing of this movie

12:10

was very important. I feel like Brian's

12:12

work had a lot to do

12:14

with that. Brian Stevenson, who he was, I think the heads

12:16

of the our studio was very progressive

12:19

and wanted to get behind this message. So

12:22

it was a lot of factors that kind of fell into place

12:24

for this movie to get made with as much

12:26

ease as it has. It wasn't completely

12:28

easy, but it wasn't as hard as it has been in

12:30

the past. Well, why why is

12:32

Brian Stevenson a hero? I

12:35

think he's a hero because he's selfless. I

12:38

feel like he sacrificed his life and dedicated

12:40

it to a cause. And he doesn't fatigue. Like Jamie

12:42

said, he doesn't tire. I think he is

12:47

almost He's so optimistic

12:49

and so hopeful in the most dismal situations.

12:52

I don't I can't even fathom, you know. I

12:54

think one of the most challenging things about playing

12:56

him in this movie was the situations

12:58

that he was in. And he kept his calm

13:00

and he kept his cool. Why because it wasn't

13:03

beneficial for his clients

13:05

something you know, being you

13:07

know, strip search being treated, uh, you

13:09

know, mis mistreated, and and and and

13:11

and obviously you know, seeing laws being

13:13

broken left and right, but being antagonized,

13:16

being racially profiled, being harassed, and

13:18

he still kept his his his

13:20

calm nature when emotionally,

13:23

even in the scene, I wanted to react differently,

13:25

differently, so my artistic acting choices.

13:27

I wanted to be you know, raged, while I wanted to

13:29

lash out. But that's not what Brian

13:31

Stevenson you know, did, That's not who he was.

13:34

So that reserved nature that

13:36

that methodical, that that you know,

13:38

he's a strategist. He you know, he's five steps

13:40

ahead. He's all about changing the perception.

13:42

He has layers. He created this legacy museum,

13:45

he has this memorial situation set

13:47

up and down in Alabama. He's attacking this thing

13:49

at so many different levels. I was so impressed

13:52

by by how much

13:54

strategy goes into it. Um,

13:59

and he does all of us work pro bono. You

14:01

know what I'm saying. You know what I'm saying, and

14:04

and and it's and it's uh, the man

14:07

is so humble, it's it's uh, it's

14:10

incredible. Man. So it's like, you know, he is

14:12

our is our he is our hero. Man. It's

14:14

like I've been in marble films, you know, I've

14:16

done all that, But this is this is the one that I'm

14:18

most proud of. Man. He's he's the guy look up to. Bryan

14:21

got some fire quotes too, I'll put some in my phone.

14:23

I want to ask you why it ran.

14:26

You said you don't change the world with the ideas

14:28

in your mind, but with the conviction in your

14:30

heart. Sure.

14:33

I mean I just think that, Um,

14:35

we have to recognize our

14:37

power to make a difference. And we use

14:39

some of these lines in the movie,

14:41

but for me, they're not just lines. It's the way we

14:43

do justice. You know, the question is how do we do

14:46

justice. You do justice by being

14:48

willing to get close to people who are poor and excluded

14:50

and neglected. You know, in this country, we have a tendency

14:53

to kind of let the lights always go to the rich

14:55

and the powerful and the privilege. We tend to

14:57

care more about what's happening in places

14:59

where people have and lifted up and gotten

15:01

a lot of attention. And I don't believe

15:04

that our country will be judged by

15:06

how well we treat the powerful and the privileged

15:08

and the celebrated. We're going to be judged by how we treat

15:11

the poor and the incarcerated and the excluded.

15:14

And for me, that

15:16

means understanding that we have an obligation

15:18

to do these things. You know, my great grandfather

15:21

was enslaved in Virginia, and he

15:23

had the belief he believed things he couldn't

15:25

see, and so he learned to read as a twelve year old,

15:28

even though everybody was telling him he would never

15:30

be free, and he learned to read. And when emancipation

15:33

came all of the informally enslaved

15:35

people would come to his house and he'd read the newspaper

15:37

every night, and the house would get quiet.

15:39

My grandmother would sit next to him. She said it would made

15:41

her so proud that he had that kind of power.

15:43

And he gave that desire to read to my grandmother,

15:46

And even though they didn't have school, she was very

15:48

literate, and she gave that to my mother,

15:50

and my mother gave that to me. And we were poor,

15:53

but my mom went into debt to buy the World

15:56

Book Encyclopedia so we could see this other place.

15:59

And I was raised is been natured by people

16:01

who had the strength to keep fighting, and so for

16:03

me, it's a choice. Hopefulness

16:05

is what we have to have. And we say in the film, and

16:07

I say it all the time, that hopelessness is

16:10

the enemy of justice. Injustice

16:12

prevails where hopelessness persists, our hope

16:14

is our superpower. And I live in Montgomery,

16:16

Alabama. It's a challenging place, but it's also

16:19

an incredibly inspiring place because in Montgomery,

16:21

you never forget that you're standing

16:23

on the shoulders of people who did so much more with

16:26

so much less. The people trying to do what I'm trying

16:28

to do. Sixty years ago they

16:30

had to frequently say my

16:32

head is bloody, but not bad. I've never had to

16:34

say that. And I feel the power of

16:36

the enslaved who found a way to stay hopeful

16:39

despite bondage. I feel the power of

16:41

people who were terrorized and lynch and found a

16:43

way to get to security. My parents were humiliated

16:45

every day by Jim Crow's segregation, and

16:48

yet they had enough hope to love

16:50

one another, to create a generation. It gives me the

16:52

opportunities that I have now, So I feel

16:54

an obligation to fight for our

16:56

future, to fight for our children. There's

16:58

a presumption of dangerousness and guilt that

17:01

gets assigned to black and brown people, and it's

17:03

not right, and we've got to end it. We

17:05

have a criminal justice system,

17:09

you know, the system that we have

17:11

that treats you better if you're rich and guilty,

17:13

then if you're poor and innocent. It's not right,

17:15

and we've got to do something about it. And I think we

17:18

can when we get amazing talented

17:20

people like the people on this stage, and people

17:22

like Rob Morgan and Karen Kendrick and Tim

17:24

Blake Nelson, when they come together and

17:27

use their creative power to

17:29

tell these stories. I don't think

17:32

there are any limits to what we can

17:34

unravel. We can unearth that

17:36

can actually move us toward justice. And that's what

17:38

excites me about the film. I think it's going to become

17:41

something that I hope people are organized

17:43

around, that people get inspired by that

17:45

push us us towards something that feels more like

17:47

justice. And that's the vision, that's the hope behind

17:49

all of this. Affected.

17:55

I would affected you think this movie will be

17:57

in changing anything in

17:59

our climate in America right now. I

18:03

feel like the

18:06

takeaway that I want at the end of this movie, I

18:08

want people to feel I want people to start having

18:11

conversations. That's where it starts. I want people

18:13

to go home and think, you know, um.

18:18

I want people to feel like what they what can

18:20

they do? I think one of the major

18:22

issues with

18:24

with with criminal justice is people feel

18:27

like the issue is so big that what could little load

18:29

me do to affect this big thing? And it's

18:31

paralyzing so they do nothing. And

18:33

and I feel like, if

18:36

you can identify with the thing that

18:38

that makes you tick, that that bothers you, that

18:40

that that that you want to go out and be a part

18:43

of the solution. Go to eji

18:45

dot org. There's a list of actionable things that you could

18:47

actually do to start being a part of the actual change.

18:50

Vote you feel me, I write

18:52

that, you know our ancestors, you know died and went

18:55

through all the ship forward is to vote, you know, find

18:57

out what judges are where, what

18:59

what policies being put in place? What? How

19:01

can you vote on things that's going to directly

19:03

affect your situation, in your

19:05

in your circumstances. You know, those are

19:07

those are the basic things that we just

19:09

tend to ignore. So I want

19:12

people to feel like they're not too

19:14

small, that that they could

19:16

be a part of the solution, that they could stand on the

19:18

right side of history. After leaving and watching

19:20

this movie, Bree, when you see stories like this,

19:22

how does it make you personally feel as a as

19:24

a yeah, as the white

19:26

person in America? When you see stories like this, how

19:29

does it make you feel? Thank

19:31

you for the question? What

19:35

is that funny? I

19:38

really

19:41

everybody

19:44

white, no, no, no, no no, about

19:47

that they just don't know breathe. They don't know breathe

19:49

that well, they just don't breath.

19:54

I mean, I mean everybody else building I think I just

19:56

let the air of the room for it.

19:58

I think a we can talk

20:01

about that whiteness. You did went over there, I

20:03

appear to be white. Um,

20:06

I wait, I

20:09

got time to speak on that whiteness. Oh

20:11

man, white man speak

20:14

on the white mansk. Thank

20:19

you. I know what you meant, though I don't know I

20:21

know what you mean. I'm just I'm just letting them. I'm

20:24

letting them go because they held her breath, the whiteness

20:31

all trying to catch a moment right, Charlotte

20:34

Mane talks about whiteness.

20:39

What you know what I mean? I know exactly. You

20:41

don't have to end the Boys in the Hood with the boys that either

20:43

they don't know exactly don't

20:46

show. I don't care about what's going on. I

20:48

wonder how much did they exactly. I'm

20:52

just didn't happen. Um.

20:57

Well, I mean the truth is, I'm

20:59

so open, you know, and I'm

21:01

I'm so open to learning about to

21:04

learning more and to listening. And

21:07

I learned so much on this movie and

21:09

I will keep learning and so

21:13

to hear these stories. It's hard.

21:15

It's very hard. And

21:17

I feel helpless too at times. And

21:20

I know that I'm not doing enough too,

21:22

and I also try really hard. So

21:26

for me, it's about keeping my eyes open

21:28

and keeping softness in myself

21:31

because getting hard doesn't

21:33

really help anybody, I don't think, and

21:35

being available every step of the way. So

21:38

it's doing things like this, making myself

21:40

available to films like this, and it's

21:42

activism outside of it that you may hear about you

21:44

may not, but yeah, that's

21:46

just me. And I did appreciate the question,

21:49

by the way, Yeah, that was

21:51

a great affort. Your publicis somewhere like. But

21:58

I'll tell you what one does go a long

22:00

way. The fact that she's a part of the filming, the

22:02

fact that people can see it and feel included,

22:05

and the fact that all the people

22:07

on the stage were conscious about

22:10

making sure that this movie was open

22:12

to everybody. Michael B. Brian,

22:16

We constantly destined, our director

22:19

constantly made sure that there were things that

22:21

we did so we can open it up. This

22:23

movie tested a ninety seven

22:26

in front of an all black audience,

22:29

but then it tested in front of a all white audience, and

22:32

I was like, man, what did they say? It tested

22:34

in ninety eight. So it lets

22:36

you know that your your

22:38

question is absolutely pointed. It absolutely

22:42

needs to be said, because I

22:44

think in the movie what was brilliant is

22:47

that when you did see the white characters, like

22:49

the correctional officer, he had contrition.

22:51

He knew that this was wrong. So you can see

22:53

it on his face. That moment gives the

22:56

people that are white in the audience who feel the way

22:58

he feels, a chance to get into it.

23:00

Also with the prosecuting attorney,

23:03

you can see him stewing and

23:05

toiling with this decision that's going to ruin

23:07

this man's life. So I think by the movie,

23:09

doing that brings

23:12

everybody into it, makes it makes it a human

23:16

a human condition of what we have

23:19

to eradicate. If

23:21

that means Ryan,

23:24

I want to close with this. Michael bought it up earlier.

23:26

But what are the big and

23:28

small things we can do to help support a

23:30

world with more Bryan's these? Well, thank

23:32

you, I mean for

23:35

me. We've gotten into this mess because

23:37

we've allowed ourselves to be governed by the politics

23:39

of fear and anger. In the nineteen seventies

23:41

and eighties, we had politicians that said that people who

23:44

are drug addicted and drug dependent, those

23:46

people are criminals. We're going to use the criminal justice

23:48

system to respond to them. We shouldn't have made that choice.

23:50

We should have said that people with addiction and

23:52

dependency have a health problem. We need our healthcare

23:54

system to respond. So we have to

23:57

change the frame in this country, and

23:59

we have to the politics of fear and anger.

24:01

Fear and anger are the essential ingredients

24:04

that contribute to injustice and oppression.

24:07

Walter McMillan was convicted in this community

24:09

because people were being shaped by fear

24:11

and anger and they tolerated things they shouldn't

24:13

tolerate, the accepted things they shouldn't

24:15

accept. And I just hope people who see this film

24:18

are motivated to push past

24:20

the fear, push past the anger, and

24:22

actually do the things that justice

24:24

requires. We will have on

24:26

our site a whole catalog of opportunities

24:29

for people to get involved. There are hundreds

24:31

of organizations around the country that are looking for volunteers

24:33

to work with the thousands of people who come out of

24:35

jails and prisons every month who need help.

24:38

There are people that are doing campaigns. We

24:40

need bail reform in this country. We put people

24:42

in prison because they're poor, and we keep

24:45

them there. We need accountability

24:48

from police officers and prosecutors

24:50

and judges and we've got to change that. I want everybody

24:52

who sees this film to be motivated to

24:54

learn who the prosecutor is in the community

24:56

where they live. Most people don't know

24:58

who their prosecutor is. And

25:01

there are people who exploit that by

25:03

doing all kinds of really horrific things, but they're

25:05

never had accountable because we don't even know who

25:07

they are. And that kind of education

25:09

can be powerful. I hope people will see the film

25:11

and come to Montgomery. We've opened a museum,

25:14

we've opened a memorial. It's a place where we're trying

25:16

to tell the truth about this history of racial inequality.

25:19

It's a challenging place, but it's a necessary

25:21

place. And finally, I hope people

25:23

will come to the understanding that we've got to do better

25:26

as people who care about other people. There's an

25:28

absence of compassion and mercy

25:30

in the policy debates that we see happening around

25:33

us. There is, and when we

25:35

allow ourselves to be disconnected from

25:37

mercy and compassion, we do terrible things

25:40

to one another. We don't send crimes to prison.

25:42

We send people to prison, and when we forget

25:44

that we're sending people, we do abusive

25:46

things. And I just believe that

25:49

a community that comes together and starts

25:51

demanding more hope and more

25:53

mercy and more justice is

25:55

a community that actually begins to move

25:57

toward the kind of community that I think

26:00

all of us want to live in. We want to live in a place that's healthy,

26:02

where no one is prejudged and

26:04

treated unfairly. But to get there, we're

26:06

gonna have to make some changes, and I'm hoping

26:08

this film inspires people to engage in

26:10

the kind of day to day living that

26:13

those changes require. And I'm so

26:15

I just have to say how grateful I am

26:18

to Michael, and to Brie and to Jamie

26:20

and the entire cast and to Destined. For

26:23

me, watching the film and seeing

26:25

the humanity and the dignity of my clients

26:27

presented in such a powerful, thoughtful,

26:29

kind way was incredibly

26:32

moving. And my community,

26:34

the people of who are on death row, the

26:36

poor, the accused, the condemned,

26:39

are so excited to finally be

26:41

acknowledge, to be seen, to

26:43

be recognized, and to have their struggle

26:46

for justice to be portrayed with

26:48

such care and compassion. It's a great gift

26:50

to all of us that are trying to do human rights work

26:52

in this country, and I'm enormously grateful. I

26:56

know, I think that was the last question, but one

26:58

wolf might have been joyed. This

27:01

is a movie about a hope. So

27:03

what what what do you want that hope to be for the

27:05

people? What is that hope? M

27:08

hmm, I

27:13

want the hope to be m

27:16

hm. That's a great question that

27:22

I feel like within solidarity, if you get

27:24

enough people, that was an extra

27:26

timing all that

27:32

awesome, I feel, and

27:35

a black man get his thoughts together, he

27:38

just starts talking. Jesus, I

27:43

feel. I feel. I feel like with enough

27:45

solidarity, with enough uh

27:47

unification amongst people. I

27:51

think the numbers of people talking about the same thing,

27:53

that care about the same thing, you be able to demand

27:55

the answers from broken systems. You

27:58

know. I feel like if you get enough

28:01

of us, the internet

28:03

is a powerful thing. You know, we cancel things all the time.

28:05

You know, you get it. Behind the movement, you actually can see

28:08

some things start to actually change, from big you know,

28:10

blue collar corporations to you

28:12

know, to getting people released

28:14

from from jail. Um. You can you can

28:16

get some movement done if we all get together and push

28:18

one narrative from something that we really care about I

28:20

feel like we can really make some real change. So I think

28:23

from watching this movement, I really want people I said

28:25

it before, to to feel

28:27

like your

28:29

words matter, the things that you say

28:31

matter, your vote matters, that you can get

28:34

out and actually be a part of the change.

28:36

It just don't sit back and do nothing, because

28:38

if you sit back and do nothing, it helps No. Him

28:41

makes me like Bryan Stevens and Jamie five

28:44

Free Boston and Michael B. Jordan. J.

28:46

Murphy comes out limited relief on Christmas

28:49

Day and wide relief on January

28:51

tenth to make sure y'all do support that I