NC Reads: Beyond Innocence

North Carolina Reads annually features five books that explore issues of racial, social and gender equity and the history and culture of North Carolina. Join us as we discuss these five books that pose critical questions about how North Carolinians view their role in helping to form a more just and inclusive society. 

March 2 book - Beyond Innocence by Phoebe Zerwick

• (Nonfiction) A young Black man falsely accused of murdering a white woman in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and sentenced to life in prison spent 19 years behind bars before his tireless attorneys were able to prove his innocence. Part true crime drama, part chronicle of a remarkable life cut short by systemic prejudice, Zerwick's narrative powerfully illuminates the sustained catastrophe faced by an innocent person in prison and the difficulty all formerly incarcerated people face when they try to restart their lives.

For a free copy of the book, please contact Marissa Mace at (910) 483-7727 ext. 1466 or mmace@cumberlandcountync.gov.

North Carolina Humanities is a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, opinions or recommendations expressed do not necessarily represent those of NC Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.