Five Things We Know Now Because of Ferguson - Chris "Preach" Smith

Photo Credit: BBC

It has been a little over three weeks since young
Mike Brown was senselessly shot down in cold
blood and left under a hot August sun on the
street in Ferguson, Missouri. The young man’s
death occured at the hands of Ferguson police
officer Darrell Wilson, who to this point has not
been seen or heard from and is currently on paid
leave. The justifiable outrage has mobilized the
residents of Ferguson to rise up in protest and
in turn has spurred the police department to
retailate with military grade tear gas, body armor
and vehicles. The scenes coming from this
outlying suburb of St. Louis have brought back
memories of long, hot summers in the 1960’s
where Black people were out in force fighting
for their civil rights. There is now a seething
discussion that will not go away anytime soon,
that conversation on race and class long overdue
that is now in front of every American citizen
whether they choose to partake or not. While it
is hard to look at Mike Brown’s murder and what
Ferguson represents on a whole, there are five
things we must consider going into any discussion.

Photo Credit: The Root

1)This is a galvanizing moment for activism in the community.

There is no question that Mike Brown’s death has gotten
the attention it has due in part to the consistent and
insistent coverage on social media. Twitter and Facebook
usage has been vital to getting people aware and outraged,
and then mobilized. Prime examples are the #NMOS14
protests held nationwide and on a slightly smaller global
scale, along with #BlackLivesMatter and a recent summit
of protesters and organizers that convened in Ferguson
this past Labor Day weekend. From the first days of the
protests, folks have driven down and flown in to the town
to add their voices to the struggle for justice. What’s striking
is the combined front of activist voices. Reverend Al Sharpton
and the older guard. The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement.
Anonymous making their web presence known. The Nation
Of Islam. You even had Tibetan monks visit and show their
solidarity along with Palestinians sending instructions to
Ferguson protesters on how to treat tear gas victims. The
fact that one of the founders of Twitter actually took part
in the protest alone is huge. Who can forget Hedy Epstein,
the 90-year old Holocaust survivor, being arrested in the
early days of the protests? And one cannot overlook the
absolute courage and fierceness of the people of Ferguson
throughout all of this including Mike Brown’s parents. It has
been, for lack of a better word, moving to the core. Have there
been bumps in the road and some conflict? Sure. 

Photo Credit: voices.ajaa.org

2)Black women have reaffirmed their roles as leaders in the crisis.

It has to be said and repeated at length: Black women have been
staunch leaders throughout this crisis. This is not a knock on other
women of color who have lent their support during this time as 
well. But the sisters have stepped to the forefront. From those on
the ground initially in Ferguson like @Awkward_Duck and @netaaaa
to @FeministaJones who organized #NMOS14 and numerous others,
they are the vanguard for keeping the pressure on officials. They’ve
gotten a great deal of support but they have also been shamelessly
and woefully mistreated and defamed. Partly from other brothers
who have chosen to speak out of pocket for whatever gains can be
put in their pocket. The fact is, it has not deterred them. And as 
this fight for justice continues, one hopes they get more of the 
support that they need from brothers and everyone else. Because
they too have been victims of police brutality and aggresive fear
from white attackers(see Renisha McBride). I know a couple of 
women who have been highly vocal and present during this struggle
(shoutout to @gelle6 and @KittyKahlo) and so this particular point
hits home for me.

Photo Credit: Buzzfeed

3)There’s a more pronounced range of division in white people on Ferguson.

Listen. The image above illustrates it best; it’s taken from the now
infamous broadcast on CNN International where anchor Roesmary
Church asks why police didn’t choose to use water cannons on the
protesters in Ferguson. Which got that classic side-eye from her
co-anchor Errol Barnett. There’s been a good deal of support and 
outrage from white American citizens over Mike Brown’s murder.
But perhaps just as disturbing is the more vivid support of Officer
Darrell Wilson, most visibly in a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe
that has peaked at $430,000. This situation has ripped off the
obsolete bandage that is the word ‘post-racial’ forever off of the
cancerous wound that is American systemic racism. When you
have North Korea and other nations condemn your internal racism,
and you are summarily deemed as a violator of human rights by
Amnesty International(which occured after their own watchdog
committee was forcibly ejected from Ferguson at GUNPOINT by
officers), the elephant in the room is no longer still but is now
effectively taking a dump all over you, as the comedian Paul
Mooney would say. Part of the problem lies in privilege, and the
unwillingness to confront it or even acknowledge it in full. There
is of course the matter of the political partisanship as well with a
Black president that adds a different shade to matters. And you 
can’t help but note that there are those splinter anarchist groups
who have done more harm than help like those ejected from the
protests by Alderman Antonio French and others during the second
week of protests. And please note: Officer Wilson was part of a
police force that is currently 95% white. And was given time to
be a fugitive from justice by his peers. We’re seeing historical
instances being repeated here. Bad ones. And the progressive
voices need to be louder and clearer in support of those already
mobilized on behalf of Mike Brown and Ferguson. Not at the front.
Alongside, and in amplification of those already there.

Photo Credit: IB Times

4)Distractions and cynicism in the movement are being dealt swift blows.

From the hapahazard presence of Missouri State Highway Patrol
Captain Ron Johnson three days into the protest to a rogue member of
Anonymous causing havoc with the release of the wrong person’s
info on Twitter, distractions have been struck down quickly. One
example was the Reverend Jesse Jackson being run out of Ferguson
after apparently asking for donations to his church. There has been
an outcry for more celebrities, especially in hip-hop to stand up
and speak out. Where people wanted Beyonce and Jay-Z to speak.
But more appreciated the efforts of J.Cole and Talib Kweli who went
down personally to Ferguson to aid the people. People are now
vigilant in pointing out then rebuking those who are seen looking
to de-legitimize efforts or make a profit on them, most recently a
known author on ‘macking’ who has gone out of his way to attack
the sisters of the struggle. There’s even been those who have
made derogatory comments on people heavily tweeting and sharing
articles and info on Ferguson and the protests. Those who have been
doing so have done their part in making this issue gain notice by a
news media who didn’t really even pick up the story until a WEEK
LATER by some accounts. And even then, the people had to fight 
against a narrative that would seek to dehumanize Mike Brown for
their aims of ratings and profits. And they still are fighting against
that narrative. There is a marked change here. One that serves the
fight for justice better.

Photo Credit: WVTR

5)The whole world is indeed, watching the police. As they should.

The Ferguson Police Department is now under an intense
microscope, and other police departments across the nation
face that same scrutiny. Its something that’s long overdue
and is necessary with the alarming amount of deaths that
have happened on their watch. Consider this: Mike Brown’s
shooting, while he was unarmed, is the fourth major death
in the past month of August. Three Black men and a teenager
on his way to college. This doesn’t even take into account the
rise in cases like Victor White in Louisiana where someone
‘commits suicide’ while handcuffed. As I stated earlier, we’re
seeing history repeat itself. Such instances weren’t uncommon
in apartheid South Africa in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. 
There’s been a call for demilitarization of the police force and
more dash cams and body cameras to be used. The Ferguson
cops have recently recieved body cams donated by a mobile
video surveillance company. But will it be enough? Can it be
enough to overcome fears that these officers will just turn
them off? We’ve seen how lawless these ‘lawmen’ were in
the past two weeks. The truth is, constant watching with
vigilance is what’s needed. And the events in Ferguson have
gotten the world’s attention. It’s highly probable that such
attention won’t cease. It’s not just the Ferguson Police 
Department. The NYPD is still under scrutiny due to the
death of Eric Garner as well as the LAPD and the death of
Ezell Ford. More people are using smartphones to capture
incidents of aggression and brutality by officers. The streets
are watching. And saying something.