By Ashley Winters
Nine PBS Listen, St. Louis Podcast: Live Ferguson Special commemorates the 10th Anniversary of the Michael Brown Jr. shooting and the Ferguson Unrest with a live audience and panel discussion with Carol Daniel as host.
“We are grateful for everyone who has shared their stories with us so we can help our region understand where we’ve been, how far we’ve come, and how we’re moving forward,” said Vice President and Chief Content Officer Aja Williams. Nine PBS hopes to inspire viewers with stories by celebrating the achievements of the Ferguson community over the past decade while acknowledging that there is still work to be done toward racial equity and justice.
The discussion panels included Ferguson Mayor Ella Jones, Dellwood Mayor Reggie Jones, Reverend Traci Blackmon, Annissa McCaskill, Dr. Twyla Baylor, and Briant K. Mitchell, all of whom are business owners or residents of Ferguson. The event was a combination of interviews, archival footage, and visual storytelling that painted a picture of Ferguson’s transformation, highlighting the efforts of individuals, organizations, and local leaders who have worked tirelessly to create positive change.
10 years after the unrest that faced the small North County suburb, Mayor Ella Jones has scars from August 9, 2014, and the many months following. “Of course there are scars, that’s the way of life. And you’re going to fall down but you have to determine how you’re going to get up and brush yourself off. That’s what Ferguson is in the process of,” said the mayor when describing how her city will move forward 10 years after the killing of Michael Brown and the Ferguson Unrest.
She believes Ferguson’s story is a story of resilience, hope, and progress. The live audience podcast event showed a combination of interviews, archival footage, and visual storytelling that highlighted Ferguson’s transformation, covering the efforts of individuals, organizations, and local leaders who have worked tirelessly to create positive change. Some of the footage showed the impact of Michael Brown’s death and the protests that followed, acknowledging the community’s pain while emphasizing its strength and determination to build a better future.
“I want the world to know that he was loved, his family loved him. He was a human and he was dehumanized,” said Michaell Brown Sr. when talking about Michael Brown Jr. on video footage at the event. “He loved life and he had a bright future ahead of him,” he added.
Dr. Twyla Baylor a 40-year Ferguson resident and educator lives in the home her parents bought in Ferguson ago in 1980. Her family relocated to Ferguson from St. Louis City, she describes herself as a longtime Ferguson resident and has seen her community transition over the years but says her hometown is strong. She believes the strength of Ferguson is still a part of her town but says the residue of what happened to Michael Brown Jr. is still in the air.
“I must say still Ferguson is stronger, we’re better, and we’re coming up. We have a lot of work to do, we’re not there yet but we will build back better,” said Baylor.
Ferguson business owner Briant K. Mitchell of BKM Fitness has been in Ferguson for 10 years, the fitness gym opened just a few months before the killing of Michael Brown Jr. said he faced a lot of hoop-jumping to get permits for his gym from the previous administration before Mayor Jones. The former administration made him feel humiliated, he was harassed by Ferguson police–obscene things were said to him and his family and friends. “ It was very traumatic, but to see it at this level as a business owner. I’m invested in this community,” he said. During the Ferguson Unrest Mitchell remembers all the debris that was all over the streets and the smell of tear gas in the air. “I was heartbroken,” he said, remembering those dark times. Now brighter days are ahead for the gym owner who says Mayor Jones genuinely cares about her community by showing how accessible she is.
Annissa McCaskill, Forward Through Ferguson executive director, says for the St. Louis region to achieve racial equity we must continue with the process of dismantling generational systemic oppression. “Ferguson brought to light how isolated that community was, so it’s an ongoing process even though progress has been made and that complete shift won’t happen in 10 years.”
She believes the results of Michael Brown Jr. ‘s death were a result of the systems that have been put in place decades ago.
“We have a responsibility to help everyone have a better understanding and awareness of these events so we can continue to move toward changing our community together,” said the Vice President and Chief Content Officer.
Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American.
This post was first appeared on St. Louis American.