The shooting death of Mike Brown by Ferguson cop Darren Wilson and the aftermath have put the existing chasms in neon light. These were pre-existing divisions that have either been allowed to fester or half-heartedly addressed. I will talk about four key fault lines: the racial divide, the gulf between police and the black community, the generational gap and internal strife within police departments.
There’s a loud and influential racist white voice in the metro St. Louis area. It’s hard to tell if they are a minority or a majority voice because they bully other white fair-minded people into silence. Comments like Matthew Pappert (from a neighboring police force) suggested that “protesters should have been put down like a rabid dog the first night” reflect a certain mentality in police departments that work in black communities as well as the region.
The public saw the reaction to Governor Nixon’s putting a black man in charge of operations after the overly aggressive, militarized response to peaceful protestors by the St. Louis County Police. County prosecutor Bob McCullough, who has never been bashful about his contempt for black folks, was one of the first to call the governor out for the decision. And even though it was calm under Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson’s first night of command, it was clear that he was yanked into a more low-profile position after that point. The decision also got push-back from the mainly white officers of the unified command who are represented by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).
And speaking of the FOP, they and the St. Louis Police Officers Association gave St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson a figurative smack upside the head when he made the correct decision keep St. Louis police from joining the county’s attacks on peaceful protesters. While Dotson may be their boss, more importantly he is chief for the whole city, not just a minority of basically white men in the local police association.
Outrage at the killing of Mike Brown came from all races, ages, religions, gender and sexual orientation. It was a human response to not only this tragedy, but to the accumulation of police killings of black people before August 9. Then Kajieme Powell was shot down by St. Louis police days after Darren Wilson fired multiple bullets into the body of Mike Brown.
At the end of the day and every day, it is young black people, who must be the primary voices of this struggle. We cannot always be on the streets with them when police harass, assault, arrest and kill them routinely with impunity.
The young people have pleaded for relief to those in positions of authority claiming to have power; little support has been forthcoming. Then media came in from all over the world to hear what living in America is really like for an African American. During the height of the protests, I saw young people up and down West Florissant facing cameras, talking into mics – telling their stories. The world was finally listening – even if only for a fleeting moment.
So, it was not surprising that clergy, elected officials and civic leaders were met with indifference and sometimes downright hostility by young people in and around Ferguson. They took exception to the camera-hogs who prior to Mike Brown had little to no contact with poor and working-class black youth. The so-called power brokers have done little to address the criminalization and marginalization of black youth. When Rev. Jesse Jackson was heckled by young people at a rally, a black elder asked me if they even knew who Jackson was. My response was yes, that’s why they’re heckling him.
Our young people don’t need fair-weather friends. Their anger shouldn’t be summed up as disrespect for their elders. They know who’s been there for them. After the cameras roll out and the slow wheels of justice creak on, they must see a community ready to listen and willing to take the time to build relationships with them, saggy pants and all.
Empowered adults must give youth the tools they need to change their own reality. We must be the supporting cast, not usurp the leading roles. Together, we can build something very different – a future that brings their talents, hopes and dreams into a civilized and inclusive society.
