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CHAPTER ONE

#BlackLivesMatter

In 2014 it seemed as if Americans had fi nally awakened to the
racism that has long been a part of daily life for Black people.
And the awakening occurred in a place that few people had ever
heard of, Ferguson, Missouri. This majority-Black city located
near St. Louis had a population of around twenty-one thousand.
On August 9, 2014, a White police offi cer, Darren Wilson, fatally
shot an unarmed eighteen-year-old Black man named Michael
Brown. The events that unfolded after the shooting exposed an
uncomfortable truth that had been widely known to Black Ameri-
cans but less so to many White Americans: police in the United
States often discriminate against people of color.
The encounter that led to Brown’s death began when he and
a friend were walking in the street. Wilson drove by and ordered
them to move onto the sidewalk. Brown refused. This led to a
brief altercation at the police car that resulted in Brown getting
shot in the hand. Brown took off running as Wilson ran after him,
fi ring more shots. Brown turned around with his hands raised
and told Wilson that he was unarmed. At this time Wilson fi red
his weapon at least six times, striking Brown and killing him. The
offi cer later said that he fi red in self-defense because Brown was
charging at him, ready to attack.
After the shooting, Brown’s body lay in the street for more
than four hours. Cell phone images of this scene went viral on
Twitter. The next night crowds gathered for a candlelight vigil in
the spot where Brown had died. Organizers called for peaceful

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