J. C. Chambers

Souls on Trial J. C. Chambers

'Souls on Trial' centers around a prominent African-American lawyer who is convicted and imprisoned for a murder he did not commit. His widow discovers who the real murderer is and in the process learns things about her husband, herself, and her parents that she did not know. By using major characters from three different generations whose lives become intertwined in the aftermath of the lawyer's death, the novel addresses the socio-economic divisions among African-Americans who live in the Washington, D. C. area, and reflects the differences in their lifestyles, religion and cultural values. The novel provides the reader with insightful commentary on our criminal justice system where Whites are presumed innocent and Blacks (especially African-American males) are presumed guilty. On a deeper level, it is a character study that exposes the complexities of human relationships. It focuses on the struggle African-American women have with finding a 'good black man' and interracial dating. It also explores the negative impacts that the tripartite scourges of crime, drugs, and AIDS are wreaking upon African-American communities. The novel features the obligatory mix of sex and violence to keep the reader enthralled; but it is much more than the typical fare in the genre. The novel's moral dimension gives it a spiritual quality that is uplifting.