MEMPHIS — Ben Crump appeared at First Baptist Church-Broad in Memphis on Sunday, May 31, for a book discussion and signing hosted by the Beta Epsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. He promoted his debut novel, the legal thriller 'Worse Than a Lie,' which introduces fictional civil rights attorney Beau Lee Cooper in the first installment of a planned series.
Crump, a civil rights attorney, stated that he wrote the novel to inspire a new generation of civil rights lawyers and to depict courtroom battles where Black people and other marginalized communities fight for their lives, liberty, and dignity. He said, 'I’m an unapologetic defender of Black life, Black liberty and Black culture. I was writing this for our people.'
The novel opens on November 4, 2008—the night Barack Obama was elected the first Black U.S. president—a setting Crump chose to challenge the idea that America had become post-racial. In one scene, a character named Hollis Montrose identifies himself as a police officer and licensed gun carrier but is shot anyway. 'They only saw what they projected on him, which is often the case,' Crump said.
Two members of Beau Lee Cooper’s investigative team are Black men with felony convictions, a detail Crump said was intentional to highlight their brilliance and humanity. He added, 'I’m not going to give up on my people just because a racist criminal justice system tries to define them as having no redeemable qualities.'
Crump also told aspiring lawyers, 'Once you decide you’re going to go fight for Black people to get equality and justice, they’re going to come for you. The most important thing is to have courage.' He confirmed that 'Worse Than a Lie' is designed as a franchise and that television rights are already moving forward.