This weekend will be filled with remembrances, reflections and activities to commemorate the one year anniversary of the police killing of unarmed teenager Mike Brown by then Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. The action sparked months of demonstrations, unrest and justice department investigations, which catapulted the small town of Ferguson Missouri a name known around the world and a moniker for racial injustice and disparities against African Americans and people of color by law enforcement, unfair laws and the judicial system.
Although Darren Wilson will not stand trial for what happened to Mike Brown on August 9, 2014, the policies, laws and mindsets found in the 99 municipalities in St. Louis County have gone under the microscope, internally and externally. And the changing political climate is causing changes to take place, many of which, leaders say, would not have taken place if the Mike Brown incident had not occurred.
First Ferguson Friday, a community leadership brunch held today by the St Louis County NAACP at St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley, brought local, regional, state and national elected leaders together to not only reflect on the past year, but to work together for a better community.
In that vein, the NAACP announced a new endeavor to fight unjust discipline of school children, with Advocates for Education Reform, a program that will be led by St. Louis attorney and former National Bar Association president Pamela Meanes of the law firm Thompson Coburn Hamlin Meanes.
“Under the leadership of our newly appointed Legal Redress Committee chairman, attorney and equity partner Thompson Coburn LLP and the NAACP St. Louis County branch Legal Redress Committee will answer the call to and work to ensure that all Missourians are afforded a quality education and their constitutional rights are protected,” said Esther Haywood, president of the County NAACP.
“I am excited that the St. Louis County Branch of the NAACP has decided to stand hand-in-hand with St. Louis County Family Court and offer a solution instead of a critique to a problem impacting our children today,” said Meanes, chairman of the NAACP’s Legal Redress Committee. “This program will be a pro bono assistance program that will serve general education students ages 12 to 19, with disabilities up to the age of 21. In particular, this initiative will serve students who were illegally removed from schools or are awaiting school disciplinary hearings.”
The committee is seeking attorneys who will volunteer to represent the students for free. The lawyers will be trained and supported by the NAACP.
“The ultimate goal of each case will be to keep the student in school with appropriate educational services,” Meanes said, adding, “Missouri is one of the few states that does not recognize education as a fundamental right.”
The NAACP also announced a second initiative to address legal reform in matters of police brutality.
“In Missouri, although nearly 50 reforms have been introduced into the legislation, only one actually passed – the one that limits a local jurisdictions’ amount it can raise from traffic tickets,” Meanes said.
Comments on progress, outreach to businesses affected by Ferguson unrest and ongoing commitment came from U.S. Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay, Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, Missouri Treasurer Clint Zweifel, State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, County Executive Steve Stenger, Ferguson Mayor James Knowles, Regional Business Council Executive Director Kathy Osborn, St. Louis County Police Chief John Belmar and Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Ronald Johnson.
Michael Brown, Sr. was in attendance. He started his commemoration of this difficult personal anniversary this morning by feeding the homeless at New Life Evangelistic Center in St. Louis. His foundation, Chosen for Change, has a number of events taking place this weekend to benefit the charity, including a “Heal Our City” benefit concert tonight at the Ambassador from 6-11 p.m.; a community parade Saturday morning at 9 a.m. from Canfield Green to Normandy High School; and on Sunday, 4-1/2 minutes of silence at Canfield and a silent walk to Greater St. Mark Church in Ferguson for a community healing service from 2 p.m.-4 p.m.