I love Ferguson and North St. Louis County. I lived in Ferguson from 1976 to 1984, and have lived and organized North County Neighbors from Bellefontaine Neighbors since 2002. My church, Greater St. Mark Family Church, has been a gathering place for meetings, and a safe space for protestors, before and after August 9. My wife and I worked with Latino and Latina members of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in organic farming at Mueller’s before Earthdance took it over.
I love ALL of Ferguson, not only the privileged few. The racial realities of Ferguson and North County are unacceptable. We live in conditions that resemble apartheid South Africa. It is not acceptable that the majority-black and brown population is dominated by a privileged white minority, super-exploited economically in numerous ways, and suppressed (often brutally) by a militarized police force.Â
I am pleased that the Ferguson City Council is making significant, if not yet adequate, changes to its dependence on revenue from traffic tickets and warrants that are collected through plainly discriminatory racial profiling. This needs to happen quickly throughout St. Louis County.Â
I urge white folks in Ferguson to build real relationships with the African-American residents and work together for meaningful civilian review and community control of the police. The scab that was broken by the protests covers a deep wound that must be healed. We cannot love our black and brown sisters and brothers if we do not stand up, together, and fight for justice and equality for all.
Steve Hollis is a long-time labor leader with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFL-CIO), and community organizer/popular educator with The Justice Institute/Anti-Racism Collective.
