In 2014, I was living in St. Louis, Missouri when Michael Brown, an 18 year old unarmed black young man was shot by a white police officer on August 9th in Ferguson, a suburb of St. Louis. This was the origin of “Hands up, don’t shoot” that became part of the growing Black Lives Matter movement (History.com, 2021). The communities of Ferguson and St. Louis ignited with anger and sparked the first wave of protests and riots in Ferguson and other city locations. Several businesses I frequented on a regular basis were looted and burned. I did not live in Ferguson but two of the schools I was affiliated with and my where husband was teaching, University of Missouri-St. Louis and St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley, were at opposite ends of the main street where the looting and rioting occurred. Classes were to begin shortly and there was a lot of debate over whether or not it would be safe. Classes were held and this turned out to be the positive that emerged from this for me. I am white, but STLCC is very diverse with many students from the immediate area which is predominantly black. In class, many instructors took this opportunity to have discussions on this event, on which opinions were very divided. One class in particular spent a lot of time discussing this from our different viewpoints, as we had students that were in favor of the demonstrations to different degrees and others that had family or friends in the police and fire departments that were out on the front lines dealing with the
tensions. These open discussions did not create more
divisiveness but brought more understanding of each other’s concerns and worries. For some of the students who came from the predominantly white suburbs and nearby towns, it was eye-opening to hear what the urban students dealt with everyday and many ended up joining the peaceful protests and contributing to rebuilding fundraisers for local business owners.
The urban students told me they felt like they were being heard by at least someone and I ended up with two friends that I probably wouldn’t have seen after that class without connecting through this. Some reforms have been made in the Ferguson police, and progress was starting to be made when I moved away but it will take a long time to rebuild the trust of the local residents.
References
Forbes. J.B. (2014). Meghan O’Donnell, 29, from St. Louis, prays at the spot where Michael Brown was
killed, Aug. 10, 2914, in Ferguson, MO. [Photo]. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved from ABC News.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/vandalism-looting-reported-vigil-missouri-man-killed-cop /story?id=24923516
Hastings, S. (2014). Protesters rally Sunday, Aug. 10, 2014 to protest the shooting of Michael Brown, 18,
by police in Ferguson, Mo. [Photo]. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/vandalism-looting
-reported-vigil-missouri-man-killed-cop/story?id=24923516
History.com (Ed.). (2021). Michael Brown is Killed by a Police Officer in Ferguson, Missouri. History.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/michael-brown-killed-by-police-ferguson-mo
Thank you for sharing your experience. Though I did not experience this moment first hand as you have, I am able to empathize with what you have shared. I can only imagine you feelings must have been so conflicting at this point. I would have felt scared and nervous, but also a powerful urge for change. It is wonderful that so many of your professors chose to bring this hard topic to the table and discuss it. I like to hear that the sharing of viewpoints and opinions did not bring more tension but helped each person to see the different sides of what was going on and bring a sense of understanding between peoples differences. I agree that it will take a long time to rebuild trust and for the change to fully be seen. I do have hope that it will be, and with the understanding of viewpoints from different places in people's lives, it is hopeful that the situation can be one that all can come to compromise on. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Sincerely,
Brenna Hibbard