The older man in the wheelchair Character Analysis in Just Mercy

After Stevenson’s experience of racial profiling, he gives a speech in a rural Alabama church. The older man in the wheelchair advises him to “keep beating the drum for justice.” The old man is a veteran of violent civil rights battles, and he has many scars from police violence that he considers his “medals of honor.” He is one of many wise older black people in the book who share with Stevenson their own experiences fighting for civil rights.

The older man in the wheelchair Quotes in Just Mercy

The Just Mercy quotes below are all either spoken by The older man in the wheelchair or refer to The older man in the wheelchair. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

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“You see this scar on the top of my head?” He tilted his head to show me. “I got that scar in Greene County, Alabama trying to register to vote in 1964. You see this scar on the side of my head? […] I got that scar in Mississippi demanding civil rights. […] These aren’t my scars, cuts and bruises. These are my medals of honor.”

Related Characters: Bryan Stevenson (speaker), The older man in the wheelchair (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 23

Explanation and Analysis: