Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump is adding author to his impressive resume after signing a seven-figure deal to write a crime novel series.
Under a deal with Bantam Books, Bantam will publish the first two novels of the series surrounding Beau Lee Cooper, a Black civil rights attorney who “tackles heart-wrenching cases of corruption and injustice while celebrating Black love, joy, and resilience.” Crump celebrated the news on X, formerly known as Twitter, highlighting both novels as being “informed by my decades of courtroom experience and personal revelations with the world!”
The announcement was met with warm congratulations remarks on social media. Some book fans even dropped recommendations on the cases they hoped Cooper would solve.
“Wow. That’s amazing. I hope he solves the mystery of Rachel Jeantel and who Trayvon Martin’s real girlfriend was. Now, that would be a spicy twist!” @OnRecliner tweeted.
As Crump has defended and secured settlements for the families of Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Henrietta Lacks, and more, the prominent civil rights advocate thinks it’s imperative for people to see the realities of the legal world and the justice system. “I feel it’s important to introduce a charismatic figure to the world who shows the realities of the legal landscape and the justice system through the eyes and experiences of the marginalized and the voiceless,” Crump said.
“A person of color who allows readers to step into an expansive universe of characters they may never otherwise notice or understand and, in the process, hopefully, be inspired to broaden their perspectives and even decide to play a part in moving society towards true justice for all.”
This isn’t Crump’s first venture in the entertainment industry. In 2022, he was the subject of the documentary Civil, which can be found on Netflix. His voice and production skills were utilized as he narrated the documentary short film How to Sue the Klan: The Story of the Chattanooga Five, which was an official selection at the Social Justice Now Film Festival and will premiere at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) and the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival in late 2024.
The announcement isn’t getting in the way of Crump’s continual fight for the rights of victims of police brutality. Crump recently spoke at the press conference outside a Miami-Dade County courtroom where Donald Lenard Armstrong was scheduled to be arraigned. According to NBC Miami, Armstrong was shot numerous times by police officers following an incident on March 7 and was later charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer without violence.
Crump and co-counsel Larry Handfield are asking for the charges to be dropped and, if not,
request bond. “It’s insult on top of injury, and that is why we are demanding these charges to be dropped,” Crump said. “They shoot and paralyze him, and now they charge him with aggravated assault?”The team also requested the officer who shot Armstrong be criminally investigated.
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