Privilege and Protest
In the days and weeks following the killing of Michael Brown Jr., when national media was reporting to the rest of the world from Ferguson, the portrayal of my community felt so out of step with my experience. I had landed my first adult job as a teacher in St. Louis Public Schools nine years earlier and had developed a lot of pride in my adopted home. I was aware of inequities across the community and worked to fill gaps through my day job, but I saw those challenges as minor rather than deeply entrenched systemic issues.
Friends from around the country were calling and asking, “How are you?”
How was I?
Mostly I was feeling overwhelmed and embarrassed. Embarrassed to see Anderson Cooper reporting live from Ferguson night after night. Overwhelmed to see heavily armed police officers on top of tanks rolling down suburban streets. Embarrassed by how much energy was being expended on protecting property while tear-gassing people. Overwhelmed by the aggrieved crowds chanting “hands up, don’t shoot.”
It became painfully clear that my perception of St. Louis as a generally positive place was a privileged one. That realization was embarrassing and overwhelming too. Embarrassing because my Pollyanna view of St. Louis lacked nuance and empathy. Overwhelming because I hadn’t fully connected how different of an experience neighbors could have based largely on skin color. I would soon learn more about the very specific ways that life was harder for some of my neighbors.
Foundation Moving Forward
In early 2014, a group of philanthropists came together to seed more holistic and coordinated work that would ensure the kids in our communities could thrive. I was tapped to lead this work through United Way’s Ready by 21 St. Louis.
After the creation of the Ferguson Commission, we were invited to join forces with the Youth at the Center task force to chart a path forward. I joined K-12 education leaders, mentors, early childhood experts, community activists, and social workers to review research and provide expertise on supporting kids. Through this work, I helped craft many of the 189 recommendations included in Forward Through Ferguson’s “A Path Toward Racial Equity” report. I felt confident that these recommendations, if implemented, would improve the lives of the entire region (and even the state!).
This report had a lasting impact on me. When I read the recommendation to “end hunger for children and families,” I was brought back to my time as a teacher. I remember watching students struggle to concentrate in class because of empty bellies or meals made of only highly processed food. Though I didn’t understand it at the time, this recommendation, and my time as an educator, would both play a central role in the next phase of my career.
Collective Power of Community
The experiences following Mike Brown’s death, including my participation in the Youth at the Center task force, fundamentally shaped my perspective. The initial embarrassment I felt transformed into a determined focus on ensuring we all have what we need to live our healthiest lives.
Now, I’m the senior strategist on our Food Justice initiative. In this role, I work with a group of partners who are clear that racism has shaped our food system. These partners are engaging their communities and other organizations to improve the current system or to build an alternative that works for more Missourians. You can play a part in the overall transformation by buying more from our local farmers through community supported agriculture programs and at farmers markets, paying attention to laws at the local and state level that impact water quality, land use, and disposal of waste, and by donating some time or money to an organization that is growing, distributing, or advocating for good food for all Missourians.
The past decade has marked progress, yet much work remains. There is so much power when our community organizes around a belief that a better future is possible, that is the hope I have carried from the Ferguson Uprising. It is the belief shaping the actions that countless Missourians are making happen today.
About 10 Years Later: Reflections on the Ferguson Uprising
To create our series, “10 Years Later: Reflections from the Ferguson Uprising,” we invited our staff to share their reflections and document their journeys following this pivotal event. The Ferguson Uprising not only reverberated through St. Louis but also sparked crucial work across the nation to address inequities. With the 10th anniversary of the uprising, we encourage readers to delve into these personal stories and think about their own experiences, fostering a deeper understanding of the ongoing journey toward health equity and social justice.
