Whether or not you believe that Officer Darren Wilson intentionally shot teenager Michael Brown, know this-- what happened to the teen was not an isolated incident.
Not in Ferguson, where two other young black men have been killed by police since Michael Brown, and where there have been years of complaints about police harassment and excessive force. And not across the country, where the list of fatal shootings of unarmed black young men has grown since Brown’s death.
After the Grand Jury decision, President Obama asked the nation to understand that the problem is real. “Communities of color are not just making these problems up,” he said.
Monday’s “no probable cause” announcement from St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch sent Michael Brown’s mother to her knees, and some demonstrators in Ferguson into a blind fury. In truth though, the people of Ferguson didn’t need to wait for the Grand Jury to predict the final ruling. They didn’t anticipate justice; and they got what they expected-- confirmation of the kind of injustice they’ve had to witness over and over again.
Prosecutor McCulloch characterized the Grand Jury deliberations as a “full and fair process.” But when asked if the jury’s decision was justice, McCulloch said, “I don’t know how to know how to answer that.”
More than three months after police officer Darren Wilson shot unarmed Michael Brown, the court said he would not have to be brought to trial. Case closed. But,maybe not. This time it was not just another local story of a young black male being shot to death by a white police officer. This time Michael Brown’s community and allies in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C. and other cities went to the streets to protest how black lives are devalued. Boston NAACP President Michael Curry told the Boston Globe, “even bad cops or police officers with bad judgment need to be held accountable.”
From the beginning, the handling of Michael Brown’s killing has been an insult to his family and community. From leaving his body uncovered for hours, to Prosecutor McCulloch not reaching out to the Brown family, as is customary, to Governor Jay Nixon calling for a State of Emergency, ordering in the National Guard well before a decision was reached. And finally, all concerned ratcheting up an already tense situation by delaying an announcement until evening. Those decisions pretty much creating a self-fulfilling prophecy for a violent street response. Darren Wilson was not indicted, but this community was.
So, what now? Activists pledge to stay the course, to turn this moment of rage and disappointment into a movement. As the head of Hands Up United told MSNBC, “we want people to know that Ferguson is everywhere.”
Darren Wilson has said he would retire if exonerated, but he may yet go to trial. The Brown family can bring a civil suit, and the federal government can bring civil rights charges. But, even if there are legal victories, what happened in Ferguson will always be justice delayed, justice denied.
Callie Crossley is the host of Under the Radar.
