Review of Guilty When Black

[Courtney Hughes]

[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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Miashah Moses just finished making some food for her two nieces, Nylah and Noni, changed their diapers, and put them in her bedroom when she began cleaning up by taking out the trash. She locked the door to the apartment on her way out to ensure that her oldest niece, who is only 4, would not open the door to let the youngest, 18 months, wander the breezeway and fall off the second story balcony. Miashah makes her way to the dumpster, says hello to a neighbor, and then she sees it. Smoke. There’s a fire in her apartment and her nieces are locked inside. The events that unfolded next, and for years to come, changed the Moses’ family forever.

In Guilty When Black, Carol Mersch explores the story of Miashah Moses and the events that led to her being railroaded by the Tulsa, Oklahoma justice system. Miashah Moses was accused of murdering her nieces by locking them in her burning apartment while she took the trash out for a few minutes. What should have been seen as an accident was turned into a racial battle that would prove difficult to win.

When reading Guilty When Black by Carol Mersch, I felt many emotions ranging from anger to overwhelming sadness. The author uses Miashah’s story to pull the curtain back on the injustice towards females, mostly black females, in the state of Oklahoma. I like that she interjected separate cases and stories of other black women who were wronged by Oklahoma to illustrate this very point. She shows that racism has been an issue since 1921 with the Tulsa Race Massacre and has never shown signs of getting better. The author puts names to statistics by peppering in these stories with varying degrees of charges and circumstances while staying focused on Miashah Moses and the effect the judicial system had on her. Her storytelling is impeccable and makes the reader feel for all these people and root for them to overcome their obstacles.

As far as storyline or subject matter is concerned, I did not find any negative aspects. There are some editing issues but it did not affect how much I found the book captivating all the way through.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars based solely on the imperfect editing. Guilty When Black was a quick read for because the author tells these stories with such eloquence that it brought forth intense emotion for me as a reader. I love stories of righting wrongs and journeys to justice. This is one that makes you feel empathy and anger all at once.

I recommend this book to adults who enjoy non-fiction and true crime due to there being some strong language and violence throughout. The author does a great service to the wrongfully incarcerated women of Oklahoma by giving them a voice they wouldn’t otherwise have.

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Guilty When Black
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[ROSEY-ANN]

An interesting story that highlights an important issue. Thanks for reviewing!!

[Reader-247]

Such pieces are essential to create awareness regarding racial discrimination of the judicial system. This is a must read for me. Thanks for a enlightening review