Dean Powery on Remembering that 'People Are Not Crimes'
Following a public conversation with the lawyer and author Bryan Stevenson, Chapel Dean Luke Powery reflects on Stevenson's statement that "people are not crimes" in an essay in the (Duke) Chronicle.
"People are not crimes because that is not who we are at our core," Dean Powery writes. "We are human and as such, we have dignity and worth, regardless of what the prison industrial complex might proclaim."
Another key moment in the conversation was Stevenson's description of being heartbroken over failing to save a client on death row from being executed.
"Even with all of his degrees and accolades, Stevenson’s feet are grounded in his humanity," Dean Powery wrote about Stevenson's recognition of his shared humanity with his client. "He recognizes that we are all broken, finite creatures."
"Yet even though human beings are broken, Stevenson does not suffer from hopelessness, which, he says, is the opposite of justice," Dean Powery says. "He recognizes that we human beings are not just broken; we are beautiful and gifted as well."
Read about the September 21 event at the Chapel with Stevenson.