When Calvin Moore left the ’hood, he closed the door. He’d always had his sights on law school, power, money, a good life. He’d been at a big Philadelphia law firm for several years and was on track to make partner soon—so when his boss asked his assistance with a pro bono case for a non-profit, Calvin was reluctant. The Center for the Protection of Human Rights didn’t want his experience; of that, he was sure. All they wanted was his black face to represent.
Known for around-the-globe humanitarian work, Roger Whitford always wanted to make a difference, and his organization was poised to do it. They just needed a case that was right, one he could defend in court in a way that would force nation-wide revisions for Black boys within the justice system.
Roger had an audacious plan, and the case against Malik Williams was perfect…
Talk about good timing.
With its focus on justice and its characters’ shouts for legal change, “Endangered” may be the most relevant book you’ll read this year. Be aware, though: author Jean Love Cush, who has a background in law, loads controversy inside her story.
And yet, this drama isn’t all just courtroom-based. Cush’s characters are created with razor-sharpness and put in gut-wrenching situations. She then offers statistics (real ones!) to support her story—shocking stats about African-American education, crime, society, and justice that move the story along, enhance its most memorable parts, and pull readers even further in. All I can say is “wow.”
(“Endangered” by Jean Love Cush, c.2014, Amistad, $24.99/ $3 Canada, 261 pages.)
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