By Ashley Winters| The St. Louis American
Prize winning author Stefan Bradley examines the Ferguson uprising in his new book “If We Don’t Get It: A People’s History of Ferguson,” He shared his thoughts at Left Bank Books in the Central West End on Tuesday night.
Jamala Rogers and Jonathan Pulphus, who organized, marched, and protested with Bradley during the Ferguson Uprising, joined him for the book reading and community conversation just blocks from somesevere tornado damage.
[Stefan Bradley] reminded the audience that many demonstrators did not eat well or have a place to sleep… He added that “Everyone in their own right was a leader giving themselves for the freedoms of others. They gave their time, talents, mind, body, and soul.”
Bradley’s book tells a story of renewed activism, the story of the young people who bravely turned a local issue into a national movement for justice. He was a young professor at Saint Louis University when Michael Brown was shot and killed in Ferguson by former police officer Darren Wilson.
He quickly became a key media activist during the protests.
Bradley, now a professor of Black studies at Amherst College, examines how Brown’s murder sparked a grassroots movement for democracy, led by Black youth.
He said the events transformed the way we talk about race, justice, and policing in the United States.
He conducted over two dozen oral history interviews with young Black protesters, using their voices to describe the motivation and tension during the uprising’s earliest days.
There was “media representation, and misrepresentation,” intergenerational conflict over protest tactics, clashes with the police and politicians, and much more.
Bradley also authored Upending the Ivory Tower and Harlem vs. Columbia University. His work has led him to have an appearance on C-SPAN Book TV, NPR, and in documentaries on the Oprah Winfrey Network and the History Channel.
In Bradley’s book, there is an excerpt of how Mike Brown’s former teacher described how kind his smile was. Brown knew his teacher cared for him.
“This is important when we talk about Michael Brown, we talk about the 6 ‘4″ guy who was considered a threat or a demon,” said Bradley. He says this is something we have to keep in mind when talking about Brown’s legacy.
Bradley honored those who stood with him during the Ferguson Uprising, including Josh Williams, who “literally spent all his time on the movement.”
Bradley said in the aftermath, some young activists dropped out of school or quit their jobs. Some decided they would no longer be working, except for the movement.
“Everyone has the idea about the movement; it has been sanitized,” Bradley said.
“Many envision all these people marching together, screaming and hollering, and making things happen.”
He reminded the audience that many demonstrators did not eat well or have a place to sleep.
The Ferguson Uprising caused stressors, including PTSD, according to Bradley.
“Some will never be the same,” he said.
He added that “Everyone in their own right was a leader giving themselves for the freedoms of others. They gave their time, talents, mind, body, and soul.”
“Everyone had their place in the movement.”
Jamala Rogers said her experience with some of the young people she encountered felt like they were at a loss for words and purpose. They didn’t know what to do, but they knew they wanted to do something to help. “Many would just say Mama Jamala, help me,” she told the audience.
“I knew the young people were going to need some OG’s.” Bradley’s book talks about how the “OG’s” stepped in and helped guide the young people while learning from them. His book is described as honest and incisive, a personal account of what happened during those weeks after the killing of Michael Brown Jr. It provides a first-hand look at the grassroots multigenerational, multi-class, and community call to justice in the streets against a centuries-old system designed to oppress marginalized communities.
It’s a rich story with deep relevance for the protests of our own time. His book offers a gripping account of how young activists, without previous political experience, succeeded in changing our national political narrative.