Review by aodonnell -- Guilty When Black by Carol Mersch

[aodonnell]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Guilty When Black" by Carol Mersch.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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It is challenging to know the truth and hear experiences different than our own. Some people want to use natural questions and concerns to manipulate populations into division and attacking one another. This becomes abundantly clear when looking at race relations in the United States, where plenty of people say everything is fine and plenty more say everything is not fine. Choosing which voices to listen to can be overwhelming. In Guilty When Black Carol Mersch shows the research she’s done not only into the one case but into Oklahoma’s problematic approach to policing as well.

Guilty When Black follows the story of Miashah Moses, a young black woman held responsible for the tragic accident that killed her two young nieces. It’s a story of a police force and district attorney office looking to point a finger instead of understanding the situation and pursuing true justice. Moses left her two young nieces in their apartment while she took the trash out, locking the door behind her because the girls had a penchant for escaping otherwise. In the short time she was out, the apartment caught fire and the two girls perished. Despite the history of fires in the complex and mounting evidence that the complex was negligent in keeping up with electrical codes and safety, authorities decided instead to charge Moses with negligence and manslaughter. Poor legal representation and a harsh judge left Moses uncertain of her rights and the charges against her, resulting in naïve decisions made with only partial information.

Mersch’s book is challenging to read because it ignites righteous anger over the injustices recounted. Mersch sets the scene by first giving some historic context of Oklahoma’s racist past and its track record of incarcerating women and judging them harshly. I liked and appreciated that Mersch showed her additional research, putting the Moses case into perspective in light of how the state’s justice system has operated in other situations. Mersch went beyond simply reporting the facts of the case and told the larger story instead.

There wasn’t much in the book to dislike (aside from the fact that any of it happened), however, toward the end Mersch transitioned to looking at Oklahoma’s incarceration of women and seemed to drop Miashah Moses’s story. I was waiting to find out whether Moses was allowed to withdraw her plea and get a jury trial or whether she was left to serve her prison sentence.

I rate this book three out of four stars. Mersch did an excellent job of using this one case to highlight problems within Oklahoma’s system as a whole. Her research is evident in the additional cases she uses to back up her assertions, as well as in the way she uses Oklahoma history to contextualize the divides within the state. Toward the end Mersch lost the story a little, seeming to forget to wrap it up before providing additional research and context. The book also lacked professional editing, evidenced by a variety of style inconsistencies and several instances of word and phrase duplications. I hold Mersch to somewhat a higher standard in copyediting because of her background in journalism.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in race relations and the way the justice system functions and fails. However, it is an intense read and touches on some potentially triggering topics, so it may not be suitable for readers with experience related to incarceration, injustice, and racism.

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Guilty When Black
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[Chigo Nwagboso]

I am already intrigued by this review. And I'm looking forward to reading this book to get the full story. Thanks for an insightful review.

[Mtibza eM]

Wow! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I have read this book but I didn't view it as you did. It is always refreshing to hear other people's thoughts. Great review.

[aodonnell]

I am already intrigued by this review. And I'm looking forward to reading this book to get the full story. Thanks for an insightful review.

It's an intense read, but powerful and important! If you read it, I hope you find it thought-provoking.

[aodonnell]

Wow! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I have read this book but I didn't view it as you did. It is always refreshing to hear other people's thoughts. Great review.

Were there particular things you thought differently about? I'm always curious to compare thoughts with others.

[Chizioboli]

Fantastic! I'm already looking forward to enjoying this book

[Nicholus Schroeder]

This is the second review I've read of this book and it seems to be a good book, might pick it up soon. Nice review by the way, concise and pleasant to read

[Chizioboli]

This is an amazing review with a well done analysis. I most commend your exactness with providing details as well as how the writing style of the author is. I hope to read this book in the future

[Raluca_Mihaila]

The author open an important discussion and a complicated one, that doesn't have an easy answer. Justice and injustice and not always simple and objective. Thank you for this thought-provoking review!

[Mercy Osmond]

This book seems intense and will resonate different roller coaster of emotion. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[MarcellaM]

Though it has been addressed severally, racial discrimination still has to be vigilantly fought. The review is however concise and informative. I would love to read this book.

[Asma Aisha Ansari]

It sounds like an informative book which will help readers understand injustice and racism prevalent in the police and legal system.
Thanks for this thoughtful review

[ally derwin]

Great review! I was a little confused during the third part too, when Mersch dropped Miashah almost entirely. I kept thinking we would come back to her story. By the end of the book, though, I was really liking the shift from one specific case to a much broader look. Maybe it doesn't feel like a neat conclusion because it's still ongoing, with Miashah in prison and the problems discussed still unresolved