Guilty When Black

by Carol Mersch

"Guilty When Black" is the poignant, gut-wrenching story of a young African American woman, Miashah Moses, who, through unrelenting media attention and a rush to judgment by the DA is charged with second-degree murder in the fiery deaths of her two small nieces, Noni, 4, and Nylah, 18 months, when she fed them lunch and left for eight minutes to empty the trash. While she was gone, the faulty stove caught fire, a not uncommon occurrence in the low-income apartments, according the electrical contractors. The book's four-part story offers a rare glimpse into the unique challenges faced by minority and marginalized women in Oklahoma, a state with the highest rate of female incarceration in the nation. Miashah's plight is intertwined with vivid stories of five incarcerated women, the rise of one judge and fall of another, and the landmark exoneration of three black men wrongfully sentenced for crimes they did not commit. The non-fiction book is prefaced with a gripping account of the Tulsa 1921 Race Massacre, the largest slaughter of African Americans in U.S. history that left the city's affluent Greenwood district, known as the "Black Wall Street," burned to the ground.

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 29, 2020

Reviews

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carol Mersch’s Guilty When Black is an unflinching deep dive into the judicial system of Oklahoma through the case of Miashah Moses. Miashah was accused of murdering her two young nieces when she stepped outside for five minutes to take the trash out, and her apartment caught fire while she was away. The first half of the book follows the aftermath of this tragedy in the family, the sudden and unwarranted arrest of Miashah, and the unjust legal trial against her. In part three, we shift to stories of several other female inmates’ lives and how the system is unfairly predisposed against women of color. Part four then gives a wider look at the judicial system’s corruption, the toll that Miashah’s imprisonment took on her family, and also tells a chillingly similar story about the death of a family member that took place years earlier.

From the outset of this book, one thing I found really effective was the blending of the broader issues with more specific ones. At first it seems that we are only following one woman’s experience, with discussion of general racism and prejudice mixed in. For example, throughout Miashah’s trial we are reminded of the murder of Eric Harris that occurred in the same city, whose trial took place in the same court room. However, as the book progresses, we receive less specific information about Miashah. Instead, parts three and four integrate Miashah into stories about other women, and stories about the system in general. I really ended up loving how the last two parts became so much bigger than just Miashah. This not only gives context and perspective; it also shows how her trial was not just a single mistake, and it puts her story amidst other family injustices and traumas that have been experienced by a whole race of people.

I also generally really enjoyed the writing style that the author employed and thought that the book was very well-researched. The quotes from the family made it feel like a documentary, as it felt like the author was asking direct questions to everyone. This also helped me feel like I knew them, since their personalities came through so clearly.

This might partly just be an issue for me as a reader, but I did find myself a bit bored during the second part of the book. Some of the legal proceedings felt a bit repetitive or unnecessary, like they could have been cut down for the sake of this book’s purpose. I also found myself a little confused at first during part three because I didn’t realize we were straying so far from Miashah’s story. I kept wondering how these women related back to her, until the next section began and it clicked. I think this could probably be solved with some sort of outline in the intro section, just detailing the structure of the book.

I absolutely loved this book and have to give it a strong 4 stars. It is probably the most moving piece of literature I’ve read yet this year, and it has genuinely inspired me to dedicate myself again to change. The only issues I could find were minor and inconsequential to my overall reading experience.

While this book isn’t aimed towards the faint of heart, I still think that everyone should read it. Even those who struggle to enjoy darker books could find moments of optimism, such as the final chapter. I was shocked at how few reviews and ratings this had on Amazon and Goodreads, because I think that this story is perfectly written for any person involved or interested in the Black Lives Matter movement, or anyone looking for an eye-opening read about the pervasive flaws in our system.

[Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gut-wrenching... Ya that's probably an accurate description.
With a very heavy heart, I say "read this book" ESPECIALLY if you're from the Tulsa area.
There's just so much I didn't know.. From history to recent horror events that were happening in my area code while I was obliviously partying every day, and doing things like getting married while other innocent women rot.
And things I knew, just not to the extent of just how bad they are.. This highlighted my desire to run away from this state.

This is a tough read because of it's content. There's no sugar coating it. These are real life events, that feel like a horror movie. But one thing is for damn sure, local people need to know more. And do more.

(the writing felt a tad chaotic with jumping around through timelines, cases, news reports, and interviews. But the information was well collected and highlighted regardless.)

[Stephanie Runyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my official review at onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mounce5...