Elie Mystal
Elie Mystal | |
|---|---|
 Mystal in 2023 | |
| Born | Elie Ying Mystal May 10, 1978 |
| Education | Harvard University (BA, JD) |
| Occupations |
|
| Employer | The Nation |
| Known for | Commentary and criticism about the U.S. Constitution |
| Spouse | Christine Nyereyegona |
| Children | 2 |
Elie Ying Mystal (born May 10, 1978) is an American political commentator, writer and former litigator. He is the justice correspondent at The Nation, where he writes about the courts and the criminal justice system.[1]
Early life and education
Mystal's father, also named Elie Mystal, was Haitian-American, the first black person elected to the Suffolk County Legislature, and an influential political operative whose career ended with a fine for violating election district residency laws.[2]
Career
Mystal is the author of Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution, which is intended to be an "easily digestible argument about what rights we have, what rights Republicans are trying to take away, and how to stop them."[3] The book, which was published by The New Press in March 2022, made The New York Times Best Seller list that same month.[4]
As of 2022, Mystal was a board member of Demand Justice, a liberal judicial advocacy group.[5]
Publications
- Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution. New York: The New Press. 2022. ISBN 9781620976814. OCLC 1252960938.
- Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America. New York: The New Press. 2025. ISBN 9781620978580.
References
- ^ Markay, Lachlan (March 6, 2022). "Progressives prep big spending for Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation". Axios. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ Brand, Rick (November 29, 2017). "Elie Mystal dead at 71; Suffolk legislator brought down by residency law". Newsday.
- ^ "Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution". The New Press.
- ^ "Hardcover Nonfiction Bestsellers, March 27, 2022". The New York Times.
- ^ Oprysko, Caitlin (December 9, 2022). "A peek under the hood at Demand Justice". Politico. Retrieved December 30, 2022.