News

On The Streets Of Ferguson

By Youth Radio
08.25.14
On The Streets Of Ferguson (Deshawn White, 12, lives one block between the shooting site of Michael Brown and where protests have taken place in Ferguson, MO. State Police replaced the basketball net on the hoop in front of his house and gave him a new ball. “Don’t get me wrong, we still don’t like the cops but we appreciate it though.”Photo: Brett Myers/Youth Radio)

Below are some scenes from the streets of Ferguson, Missouri where young people are responding to the death of Michael Brown.

The site where Michael Brown’s body lay for about four hours after a Ferguson, MO police officer shot him on August 9th. 27-year-old resident Darren Seals, who saw Brown’s body that day, said, “Back in the day when a slave master would hang a slave, he would leave them there for a long time so the people could see it and it could strike fear in their hearts. But what they don’t understand is that it didn’t make us scared. It made us furious.” Photo: Brett Myers/Youth Radio
“It’s bullet first. They use Tasers and rubber bullets after they kill somebody,” says 18-year-old Ferguson resident Pierre Ward who has been active in the protests. “I don’t want to overthrow the government or anything, but I’m hoping to prove that we’re not stupid. We’re waking up and we see what’s going on.” Photo: Brett Myers/Youth Radio
“My whole thing is that the world needs to wake the fuck up,” said 27-year-old Ferguson, resident Darren Seals. “When a boy was just laying here dead, we didn’t get all this attention. Burn Quick Trip down and now everybody coming. That’s sending off the wrong message. We got to start valuing life more than we value material. It’s been more about the rioting than the boy being dead. His life is more valuable than any of that. It shouldn’t be money over everything. It should be life over everything.” Photo Credit: Brett Myers/Youth Radio
Young people gather at memorial for Michael Brown who was shot feet away by Ferguson, Missouri police on August 9th. Protests continue in absence of a decision from a grand jury about whether or not the shooting was warranted. Brown’s funeral is set for Monday. Photo: Brett Myers/Youth Radio
Photo: Brett Myers/Youth Radio
Deshawn White, 12, lives one block between the shooting site of Michael Brown and where protests have taken place in Ferguson, MO. State Police replaced the basketball net on the hoop in front of his house and gave him a new ball. “Don’t get me wrong, we still don’t like the cops but we appreciate it though.” Photo: Brett Myers/Youth Radio
Nashia Brown, 14, and her 13-year old sister Neisha Brown (pictured with neighbor) have joined demonstrations just one block from their home. Like most protesters, they say that looting didn’t happen until police brought out dogs and pepper spray. The Brown sisters say protests will likely subside after justice is served. “Him getting locked up. That’s what justice is, right?”Photo: Brett Myers/Youth Radio
Christina Ewings walking with her two daughters on Florissant Avenue in Ferguson, MO where protests have raged for more than two weeks following the police shooting of Michael Brown. “After Trayvon Martin I cry, and I told my son that’s why I tell you to come in the house after dark. But this [shooting] happened in broad daylight so when can you go outside?”Photo: Brett Myers/Youth Radio
Ferguson, MO resident Christina Ewings says the police are acting as the judge, the jury, and executioner. “They’re shooting to kill, when your job is to apprehend. That means to stop the person, lock them up, and let them get due process. You can’t just shoot us down dead in the street. That doesn’t make sense to me.” Photo: Brett Myers/Youth Radio
16-year-old Martice Dees lives just blocks from where Michael Brown was shot. He’s spent one morning cleaning up Red’s BBQ after rioters damaged the restaurant, and disagrees with looting, but Dees has also had bad experiences with the Ferguson Police. “Anytime you hear a story about the police, it’s usually negative, and then that grows into you and becomes how you see the police.” Photo: Brett Myers/Youth Radio
Martice Dees, 16, says he has been stopped and frisked by Ferguson Police. His mother Robin says it’s long been a problem in Ferguson, “I could probably write three or four books about just being pulled over by the police for nothing.” Photo: Brett Myers/Youth Radio
Driver with hands up in Ferguson, MO. On Saturday night many cruised past where Michael Brown was shot just two blocks away on Canfield, Dr. and honked as they turned onto Florissant Avenue in support of the assembled protesters. Photo: Brett Myers/Youth Radio
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