Not Guilty: Twelve Black Men Speak Out on Law, Justice and Life. (nonfiction reviews).

Not Guilty: Twelve Black Men Speak Out
on Law, Justice and Life
edited by Jabari Asim
HarperCollins, November 2001
$25.00, ISBN 0-060-18538-4

While September 11th seems to overshadow many of the problems confronting America today, among black writers and intellectuals other events continue to concern African Americans. One such event was the killing of Amadou Diallo and the subsequent "trial," which was the catalyst for Not Guilty: Twelve Black Men Speak Out on Law, Justice and Life edited by Washington Post book editor Jabari Asim.

In Not Guilty, Asim brings together an impressive cross section of black men to share their views on the ever-present topic "to be black in America," with emphasis on the legal and judicial system in America. Though the backdrop for Not Guilty is the legal system, the book also explores aspects of the black male experience in navigating everyday life.

The 12 essays are well-written pieces that speak not only to race and racism but class, street culture, fatherhood, education and perceptions that African Americans have about themselves. To his credit, Asim includes a diverse group of black writers that speak honestly from their own experiences.

Writer E. Lynn Harris contributes to Not Guilty, as well as novelists Mat Johnson and RM Johnson, all drawing from their pasts to explain why they see events like Diallo and other police shootings in certain ways. Mark Anthony Neal provides a powerful look at the challenge of accepting one's middle-class status and the implied disconnection that emerges when a tragedy such as Diallo occurs.

Asim reveals his own frustration as a writer and the father of four sons, trying to make sense of the Diallo shooting. Ricardo Cortez Cruz offers his insight in poetic prose, and Christopher Cooper writes about the police force in "Unequal Distribution of Empowerment."

The essays vary in subject matter. Some are anecdotal, some are analytical. Indeed, it is the different styles and varied voices that are the strength of this book. But for those who prefer a consistent tone, the approach may prove challenging.

With Not Guilty, Asim provides an opening into the hearts of black men coping with serious issues. He shatters the myth of black men as monolithic in their thinking. The title itself is apt, referring to the verdict and the legal farce of the Diallo case.

--Tracy Grant is the author of Hellified. His second novel Chocolate Thai will be released in late 2002.