Books on Justice & Injustice

James Baldwin said, "It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have." In this collection, we've compiled texts that explore the idea of what justice is — and how it can thrive.

Locking Up Our Own

by James Forman Jr.

Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Social Class, Nation, Politics & Government, Justice

Tags Race & Racism, US History, Politics & Government, Social Justice, Incarceration, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Sociology, World History

Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America is a work of nonfiction by James Forman Jr., an American lawyer and legal scholar specializing in racial inequities in criminal justice. Published in 2017, this critically acclaimed book examines the complex role Black leaders played in advancing tough-on-crime policies that ultimately contributed to the mass incarceration of Black people in the United States. Drawing on his experience as a public defender and his extensive... Read Locking Up Our Own Summary

London

by Samuel Johnson

Publication year 1738

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Place, Power & Greed, Politics & Government, Order & Chaos, Justice, Nation, The Past, Nostalgia, Grief

Tags Satirical Literature, Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Age of Enlightenment, Neoclassicism, British Literature, Finance, European History, Politics & Government

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Lovely One

by Ketanji Brown Jackson

Publication year 2024

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Gratitude, Hope, Joy, Gender Identity, Race, Family, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice

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Love, Theoretically

by Ali Hazelwood

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Love, Regret, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Justice, Appearance & Reality, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Self Discovery, Mothers, Education, Equality

Tags Romance, Education, Gender & Feminism, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction

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Mad Honey

by Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Gender Identity, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Justice, Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Romance, LGBTQ+, Bullying, Depression & Suicide, Parenting, Love & Sexuality, Social Justice, Coming of Age, Diversity, Relationships, Trauma & Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction

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Mahabharata

by Anonymous

Publication year -1

Genre Scripture, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Place, Family, War, Justice, Religion & Spirituality, Wins & Losses

Tags Narrative Poem, Indian Literature, Mythology, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy

David R. Slavitt’s 2015 translation of the Mahabharata is an abridged, modern English rendition of the ancient Indian epic. Slavitt, an American poet, novelist, and translator, is experienced in translating classical texts for contemporary audiences. His translation seeks to make this foundational work of South Asian literature accessible to modern readers.The Mahabharata is traditionally attributed to the sage Vyasa and was composed between approximately 400 BCE and 400 CE. As one of the longest epic... Read Mahabharata Summary

Man of La Mancha

by Dale Wasserman

Publication year 1965

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Appearance & Reality, Justice, Perseverance, Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Historical Fiction, Drama, Music, Humor, Historical Drama, Education, Education, Dramatic Literature, Romance, Classic Fiction

Man of La Mancha, by Dale Wasserman, Joe Darion, and Mitch Leigh, took the world of musical theater by storm when it premiered in 1965. This story of Miguel de Cervantes and his comic knight, Don Quixote, won five Tony Awards as well as the Drama Critics Circle Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Variety Drama Critics Award, and the Saturday Review Award. The original production ran for over 2,000 performances and remains popular... Read Man of La Mancha Summary

March

by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin

Publication year 2013

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Nonfiction

Themes Education, Politics & Government, Religion & Spirituality, Race, Justice, Equality, Perseverance

Tags US History, Politics & Government, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Life-Inspired Fiction, Inspirational, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Black Lives Matter, World History, Biography

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Marked

by Devah Pager

Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Politics & Government, Justice, Community

Tags Race & Racism, Social Justice, Politics & Government, Incarceration, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Sociology

... Read Marked Summary

Master Harold and the Boys

by Athol Fugard

Publication year 1982

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Colonialism, Justice

Tags Drama, Race & Racism, African Literature

“Master Harold”…and the boys, a one-act play by South African playwright Athol Fugard, premiered on Broadway at the Lyceum Theater in 1982. The play, which is set in 1950, draws on Fugard’s own experience growing up during South Africa’s apartheid era. It explores a complex relationship between 17-year-old Hally, a white boy, and Sam and Willie, two Black men who are servants in Hally’s family’s tea room. The play was initially banned in South Africa... Read Master Harold and the Boys Summary

Me and White Supremacy

by Layla Saad

Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Justice, Good & Evil

Tags Race & Racism, Black Lives Matter, Education, Education, Social Justice, Sociology, Self-Improvement, Politics & Government

Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad is a New York Times bestselling nonfiction book and workbook published in 2020. Structured around a 28-day antiracism journaling challenge, white readers and participants critically examine their own personal complicity in upholding white supremacy.Stemming from author Saad’s viral challenge on Instagram— #MeAndWhiteSupremacy—over the course of four weeks, Me and White Supremacy breaks open white supremacy as an... Read Me and White Supremacy Summary