Play Book Tag discussion

Tulia: Race, Cocaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town by Nate Blakeslee - 4* - My Review

Journalistic non-fiction about a racially motivated group of arrests for alleged drug sales in a small Texas town based on slim evidence from a “narc” (who was later discredited). The account covers the initial arrests, trials, convictions, appeals, and ultimate exoneration of the accused. It is an example of a miscarriage of justice and of the pitfalls of valuing “winning” a legal case over arriving at a just decision. It was almost as if these defendants had to prove themselves innocent rather than the state proving them guilty, ignoring that “innocent until proven guilty” is a basic tenet of our American justice system.

The author ties this event back to the “war on drugs” and, of course, racism. Blakeslee provides the history of the region and outlines the factors that led to this situation. It is occasionally overly detailed but a good read for those interested in examples of racial justice (and injustice). I have read several other similar books on the topic. If you are interested in reading more on these issues, I recommend: Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America and Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption.