August 9th 2024.
Michael Brown had recently completed high school and was looking forward to a bright future when tragedy struck. On a sweltering summer day in Missouri, the peace of Canfield Drive was shattered by the sound of six gunshots. Michael, an 18-year-old Black teenager, was fatally shot by a white Ferguson police officer named Darren Wilson. The warm asphalt soon turned into a grim reminder of the senseless violence that had taken place.
As news of the shooting spread, residents of Ferguson rushed to the scene to find out what had happened. Among them were many who knew Michael personally and had just celebrated his graduation from high school days earlier. The shock and grief were palpable in the tightly-knit community. This was ten years ago, but the memories of that day are still fresh in the minds of those who were affected.
Michael's death sparked a wave of emotion and protest from the Black community, who were desperate for answers as to why another unarmed Black man had been killed by the police. In response to the demonstrations, the authorities deployed a heavily militarized police force, armed with rubber bullets and tear gas. The protests started out peacefully, but chaos erupted as the police began targeting both peaceful demonstrators and those who took advantage of the situation to start looting.
Officer Wilson, who fired the fatal shots, claimed that he acted in self-defense and was never charged with any wrongdoing. However, many people questioned the circumstances surrounding Michael's death, and the impact of his tragic passing cannot be denied. A decade later, Metro spoke with some of the protesters who were on the ground in Ferguson soon after the shooting, to see how the community has changed since then.
Johnetta Elzie, one of the protesters, vividly remembers the moment she found out about Michael's death. She had logged onto Twitter and saw a photo of his lifeless body lying in the street, accompanied by the words "I just saw this dude get killed." She was stunned and disturbed by the cruelty of the moment, especially as she learned that his body had been left in the heat for hours. Johnetta and her friend immediately drove to Ferguson to join the protests.
At first, there wasn't much happening near the crime scene, but Johnetta overheard young children saying, "Mike Mike got killed." This struck a chord with her and solidified her determination to continue protesting. She recalls the innocence of those children and how their words were a reminder of the harsh reality of what had happened. The incident became deeply personal for her when the police started using military tactics to address reports of looting, even on the same night as a peaceful candlelight vigil.
The sight of heavily armed officers facing off against unarmed protesters was a jarring image for Johnetta. She remembers feeling a strong sense of injustice when she was tear gassed for the first time after only five days of protesting. This experience solidified her commitment to the cause and set her on a path of advocacy and policy work.
Looking back, Johnetta is still haunted by the images of children caught in the crossfire of rubber bullets and tear gas. As a mother herself now, with a Black husband and son, she sees the impact of her activism on future generations. She reflects on how her work has affected people she hadn't even thought of yet.
DeRay McKesson, another protester, first heard about the events in Ferguson while he was nearly 600 miles away in Minneapolis. He watched the protests unfold on his phone and felt a strong desire to do something. So, he packed his car and drove to Ferguson, determined to make a difference.
For DeRay, the first night of protests was life-changing. Despite the police announcing a midnight curfew, tear gas was deployed around 8pm. This experience only fueled his determination to keep fighting for justice. He knew that if he couldn't give up his weekend for this cause, then he didn't truly care about it.
Ten years have passed since that fateful day in Ferguson, but the impact of Michael Brown's death is still felt by those who were there. His death sparked a movement that continues to fight for racial justice and hold law enforcement accountable. As we look back on that summer day, let us remember Michael and all the other lives lost to senseless violence, and let us continue to fight for a better future.
Michael Brown had recently graduated from high school when his life was tragically cut short. It was a hot and humid summer day in Missouri when six gunshots echoed through Canfield Drive. The warm asphalt quickly became stained with the blood of 18-year-old Michael, who had been shot by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. As word of the incident spread, residents of the tight-knit St. Louis suburb of Ferguson flocked to the scene, shocked and desperate for answers. Michael, known fondly as 'Mike Mike' by those who knew him, had just graduated high school a few days earlier and now he was gone.
As news of Michael's death spread, it sparked a wave of emotion and months of protests from Black Americans who were tired of seeing unarmed Black men being killed by police. In response to the demonstrations, authorities sent in militarized police who used rubber bullets and tear gas against both peaceful protestors and those taking advantage of the chaos to loot. Despite many questions surrounding the circumstances of Michael's death, Officer Wilson was never indicted on charges of criminal wrongdoing. However, there is no denying the powerful impact that Michael's death had.
Now, ten years after that fateful summer day, Metro spoke with some of the protesters who were on the ground in Ferguson soon after the shooting. They shared their perspectives on how the community has changed since Michael's death. For Johnetta Elzie, the news of Michael's death came through a tweet with a photo of his lifeless body. She recalls feeling shocked and confused as she made her way to Ferguson that evening.
Upon arriving at the scene, Johnetta noticed that not much was happening near the crime scene. However, she overheard young children who lived nearby saying "Mike Mike got killed" to their parents. This deeply affected Johnetta, as she saw the bloodstains on the street and realized that Michael's body had been left there for hours in the hot summer heat. These moments solidified her determination to keep showing up and fighting for justice, as she was struck by the innocence of the children's words.
In the first few days after Michael's death, Netta and others protested peacefully in Ferguson. However, things took a more personal turn when the police militarized in response to reports of looting. Netta remembers being tear-gassed on the same night as a candlelight vigil, an experience that made her realize the true severity of the situation. As a Black woman with asthma, she felt that her own health was being put at risk by the police's actions. From that point on, Netta was fully committed to the protests, which lasted for hundreds of days.
One of the most haunting memories for Netta is seeing children caught in the chaos of rubber bullets and tear gas. As a mother to a young son, she now sees her time in Ferguson through a different lens. She reflects on how her activism not only impacts her, but also future generations. Meanwhile, DeRay McKesson was watching the events in Ferguson unfold from nearly 600 miles away in Minneapolis. As he saw videos of protestors clashing with police, he felt compelled to do something. So, he packed his car and made the journey to Ferguson.
The first night DeRay was tear-gassed, he says it changed his life. He had never been an activist before, but he knew he couldn't sit idly by while this injustice was happening. For him, it was a personal decision to join the protests and demand answers. Looking back, DeRay realizes that if he couldn't give up his weekend to fight for justice, then did he truly care about the cause?
Despite the police announcing a midnight curfew, DeRay claims that the tear-gassing began much earlier, around 8pm. This experience only solidified his determination to continue protesting and seeking justice for Michael. Ten years later, DeRay and others who were on the ground in Ferguson still feel the impact of those protests. They were right to speak out and demand answers, and they will continue to fight for justice and change.
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