The many instances of truly inspirational and positive work being
done by people and organizations from the Ferguson area have gone
largely (and sadly) ignored by the media…
In the aftermath of 18-year-old unarmed Mike Brown’s
shooting death on August 9th, the majority of media attention in and
around Ferguson has been centered on the protests in the community and
the violence that has resulted on a near nightly basis. Media descended
upon the city after images of militarized police taking over the streets
of Ferguson breaking up protests were shown far and wide. The media
frenzy really picked up after reporters from the Huffington Post and Washington Post were arrested last week while in a McDonald’s. At that point, every media outlet wanted to get a piece of the ongoing story.
While the juicy storyline revolved around an
outsized police presence, armed with tear gas, rubber bullets and
military-style armored vehicles, clashing with demonstrators, the many
instances of truly inspirational and positive work being done by people
and organizations from the Ferguson area have gone largely (and sadly)
ignored by the media at large. Reporters and photojournalists who
traveled to Ferguson did so with the hope to get shocking images and
maybe build up their own national profile. Daytime hours were mostly
spent tracking down protesters or waiting around for something to
happen.
Meanwhile, there were tons of positive images and
stories right under their noses that they could have easily reported on
and sent to readers and viewers. On a daily basis, immediately after the
protests first started, residents would scour the streets in the morning
to clean up trash and help repair damaged property. This continued even
though some properties and businesses were damaged and ransacked
repeatedly. At the same time, while some business owners have said they
may not reopen due to the economic damage they’ve sustained, others,
like Muhamad Yaacoub of Sam’s Meat Market, has insisted that he will
keep his store open and stay in the heart of Ferguson.
The death of Brown highlighted the long-standing
racial disparity in Ferguson. Despite blacks making up two-thirds of the
population, the police force is only 6% black, the mayor is white and
the vast majority of government officials are white. With this
knowledge, community organizers and everyday citizens have decided to
push for residents to be more politically engaged. Voter registration booths have been set up
with the hope that young people will get registered and become more
engaged moving forward. St. Louis Alderman Antonio French has said that
he is opening an office on W. Florissant Ave. to further assist with
voter registration and activism in the community.
Kayla Reed in Clayton Wednesday night
And it isn’t just community organizers and political
leaders that are getting more involved in Ferguson. Young residents of
the community have taken this call to action to heart. I spoke with one,
Kayla Reed, after the clergy-led protest march in Clayton Wednesday night. Reed has helped
start an organization called Justice Core. The objective is to engage
other young people in the community to get involved in the political
process. Reed and others have gone through the protests every day
meeting with younger demonstrators and speaking with them about the need
for further action. The organization has received direct assistance
from local artists, such as Tef Poe and Corey Black.
Reed wants to make sure that once the media glare is
gone, the advocacy continues. She and the organization are working
tirelessly to build up relationships with other leaders as well as the
young people who need to remain engaged. Along with the work Reed and
Justice Core are doing, there are countless other examples of everyday
citizens pulling for their community and doing what they can to bring
some positivity to Ferguson in the wake of a tragedy. It’s just a shame
that those stories don’t draw ratings.
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