After nine months of research, public meetings, community outreach and occasionally overcoming ridicule, a commission tasked with helping the St. Louis region address its issues with racial inequity released its final report on Monday, September 14. The Ferguson Commission issued 189 calls to action, with a smaller set of “Signature” priorities, all viewed through “the lens of racial equity.”
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon chose 16 area residents – out of more than 300 applicants – to form the Ferguson Commission last year following the unrest after the death of Michael Brown Jr., an unarmed black teenager who was fatally shot by a white Ferguson police officer.
Their report, titled “Forward Through Ferguson: A Path to Racial Equity,” is broken into three sections: “Justice For All,” “Youth at The Center” and “Opportunity to Thrive.” Each includes calls to action that address needed change in areas such as racial equity, police reform, education opportunities for children living in poverty, minimum wage and access to affordable health care.
Commission co-chair Rich McClure said many of the suggestions that ended up in the final report came directly from complaints brought forward by residents at one of the commission’s 17 public meetings or 38 working group sessions.
“Many of those voices articulated and documented helped us think through things and helped us understand and helped the commission get depths and intensity and passion to the views,” McClure said.
The “Justice for All” segment of the report most closely deals with police issues raised by the Ferguson movement. Its calls to action include assigning the Missouri Attorney General as special prosecutor for use of force cases, tasking the state’s highway patrol with investigating such cases, and providing consistent and universal police training that would include a comprehensive plan to handle protest demonstrations.
The section also calls for consolidation of municipal courts, among other court reforms, and the institution of civilian review boards.
The “Youth at The Center” section of the report addresses child hunger and education reform. Its calls to action include establishing school-based health centers, revising the state’s school accreditation system and reforming discipline practices.
The “Opportunity to Thrive” section addresses issues of discrimination in housing, affordable health care, minimum wage, and access to jobs and job training.
The St. Louis American spoke to commission co-chairs McClure and Rev. Starks Wilson on the eve of the report’s release. They made it clear that although some of the calls to action mentioned are directed at specific public offices and organizations, it is up to residents to really see them through.
“At the end of the day, the community and civic leaders and business leaders all across our region are going to have to keep up the pressure for the accountable bodies we identify to act,” McClure said. “It is that pressure that will ultimately result in the action.”
Wilson said the commission started its community engagement from the beginning, keeping the community regularly updated on its process by sharing draft postings and updates on its website and through public meetings.
“Our ongoing intention was and is to communicate and report back to the community, which has been the process,” Wilson said.
The local engagement extends to the bodies addressed with calls to action.
“When you look at the accountable bodies, most of them are local and state bodies, so that’s where we focused most of our energy,” Wilson said.
McClure said Gov. Nixon indicated he was studying the commission’s recommendations and taking them seriously.
The commission will not evolve into a lobbying organization to pursue its calls to action as legislation, McClure said, but he expects various lobbying groups to align themselves with the suggestions laid out in the report.
Wilson said his work on the commission’s goals continues after the sunset date at the end of the year, and he is willing to work with anyone who wants to get involved in holding public bodies accountable for change.
“The real deal is we want to get some results in these policy recommendations and impact lives of young people who are coming up in this region,” Wilson said. “So, whoever can help with that, we are willing to engage with.”
At a Monday afternoon press conference, dozens of community residents, politicians, civic leaders, protestors and media gathered to hear the commission discuss the final report. Gov. Nixon attended and said he was proud of the commission’s work.
People once again addressed the commission with their concerns.
“I’ve been through many of these. I’ve read through many of them,” one older white man said to the commission. “Why do I have to think after 80 years on this great earth that this is going to be any different?”
McClure calmly responded in his familiar rhetoric that he hopes the accountable bodies receive sustained pressure from public.
In the report, the media are named as accountable bodies for how they cover black communities. At the press conference, held at St. Louis County Community College’s Center for Workforce Innovation in Ferguson, local resident Michael Jackson said he was unarmed when police wrongfully shot him and accused him of robbery.
Jackson said despite being acquitted of his charges, local FOX, KSDK and KMOV stations only covered the police’s story.
“When I went the news to tell how I was vindicated of my charges, no one wanted to tell my story, but they allowed the police to get on the news and say whatever they wanted to say,” Jackson said. As a result, Jackson said, he lost his job.
Wilson directed Jackson’s story toward the media that lined the room. “Accountability,” Wilson said. “He’s talking to some news stations in the room.”
Some snickered, but Wilson quickly went on to say, “That’s really not a joke.”
Wilson had more to say, but was abruptly interrupted by a white male reporter who was looking to grab a question from Gov. Nixon. Many in the crowd were displeased with the reporter. One woman said, “Have some respect.”
This story is published as part of a partnership between The St. Louis American and The Huffington Post.
