What was the most important message you hoped to convey to President Obama during your White House visit, as a representative for Ferguson protesters?
I hoped to lay out the reality of Black America for the POTUS, which is that the time is NOW. There can be no delay in action from this administration, in particular. Black America has existed in a state of crisis for far too long and the democracy of the people is saying no more. We need the President of the United States to realize that the political is personal, especially when the denial of justice is uncovering a chasm that’s long existed in America and moving people to take vigorous action.
How did he respond?
He introduced the initiatives from the White House that same day, they were cultivated from calls amplified out of Ferguson extremely early. The purchase of body cams for 50,000 officers is barely enough to cover the NYPD force, and as we saw in the case of Eric Garner, not enough to ensure that justice is obtained for Black families. He did use the power of his pen to sign an executive order for a task force to return a truer picture of 21st century policing and he also introduced federal oversight for program 1033, a program that supplies military weaponry to local law enforcement agencies and has ran unchecked for over 15 years.
You have emerged as one of the defining voices of the Ferguson protest movement. Why do you think that came about?
I think having a political sensibility and also an ability to think outside of the status quo for solutions to systemic problems definitely allowed me to build with folks across the board towards greater change. That coupled with a real love for Black folks of all walks of life and a true desire to see my people thrive is my motivation and I believe lots of others folks are drawn to that.
What have been some of the biggest challenges and greatest satisfactions that have come with that responsibility?
Being thrust onto a platform for simply taking action against injustice isn’t something I ever expected to happen. Learning how to deal with the pressures has been challenging, varying from
sitting in the Oval Office of the White House and speaking to to the President or having the STL County PD enact terrorism tactics on you for speaking up, they are all unusual circumstances for anyone and new spaces to navigate. I have also sacrificed a lot of my personal life for this work that has to be done. However challenging this movement has been thus far, it’s been equally beautiful in the community that has been forged. I have met some extremely beautiful people who I will be doing a lifetime of work with and also be lucky enough to call friends.
Can you point out some transformative moments that you experienced during your time on the frontlines and/or behind the scenes during the protests?
The #BlackLivesMatter Freedom ride during Labor Day weekend was a life-saving moment for me. After months of being brutalized and terrorized by the STL Police Departments that ride allowed me to walk into a space with over 600 beautiful Black people who were all there to say “We Love You” and “BlackLivesMatter.” Transformative moments on the frontline for me are numerous. Some of those moments include watching Black cops cry as I spoke to them and told them I was out there standing for their children, bonding with people on West Florissant and helping each other survive state violence and bonding with Mike Brown’s family members and reminding them we will never forget him.
