Bryan Stevenson Seeks Justice and Lands in the Public Eye

He might have started life in a small town in southern Delaware, but Just Mercy author and attorney Bryan Stevenson has made a nationally recognized name for himself—and all while seeking justice for others.

Here’s what to know about Stevenson’s net worth and push for racial equity and justice over the decades.

Stevenson will appear on CBS Sunday Morning on Jan. 30 to discuss how the U.S. can confront its history as the first step in healing from a long road of racial violence and slavery. He will talk about one of his latest projects, The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration in Montgomery, Ala. which displays the history of slavery and racism in America.

Since Stevenson was a young man, he has worked tirelessly to right the wrongs he sees in the world. He started working as a death penalty defense attorney in 1986 at the Southern Center for Human Rights. He describes the grueling and intimidating job in his book. Over time, Stevenson gained confidence and skills in his role and founded his own non-profit.

Through his work with the EJI (Equal Justice Initiative) and other organizations, Stevenson has helped free 135 innocent Black men on Death Row. Founded by Stevenson in 1989, EJI says that it’s “committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.”

In addition to its legal work, EJI also focuses on education through groundbreaking reports, short films, and infrastructure (like museums and monuments).

Stevenson and EJI are behind the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery. The memorial features more than 4,400 African American men, women, and children who were killed by white mobs from 1877–1950.

“Until now, there has been no national memorial acknowledging the victims of racial terror lynchings,” EJI says. The six-acre site is a space for sacred reflection.

Stevenson is more focused on justice than money in his career. However, he does hold a lot of roles. He's a lawyer, professor, director of EJI, civil rights activist, author, and the list goes on. That’s why he’s estimated to have a net worth between $1 million and $5 million.

Just Mercy is a bestselling book that was adapted for a feature film starring Michael B. Jordan as Stevenson. The book was published in 2014 but has seen renewed popularity in the last few years, especially following George Floyd’s murder at the hands of the police.

At 61 years old, Stevenson’s impactful career is likely far from over, but he has surely made a mark already. Just look at the Bryan Allen Stevenson School of Excellence (BASSE) in Delaware, which is a service-focused charter school hoping to get enough support to open to the public by the fall of 2023.