Bryan Stevenson

I think if you embrace compassion as a way of life, it will make you feel strong and

And it will make you feel beautiful.

And we underestimate the power of feeling beautiful as a human being and strong as a human being.

And for me, embracing compassion, letting it guide us,

as we encounter people, as we navigate complex and difficult situations, as we try to overcome heartbreak and a lot of the things that just happen in life, when we lead with compassion, I just think there's a beautiful return on that approach.

And it certainly has affirmed me, and I've seen it inspire people as well.

I want them to know that justice matters, that how we treat one another matters.

My work and the work of the Equal Justice Initiative is about doing justice for people who are experiencing injustice.

It's about valuing mercy as a way to recover from harm and hardship.

And I'm persuaded that a more just world is a more beautiful world.

A more just world is a world with less conflict and division and strife.

It's a world with more love.

And so my work is really about trying to increase the justice quotient in our nation.

and have everybody experience the beauty of justice.

What does that mean to you?

Like, what does the word justice mean?

I think justice is a constant struggle.

It's not a destination.

It's not a fixed place.

It's the way we navigate the inevitable conflicts and divisions that come in a world where there's a hierarchy of power.