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bigtree

(85,915 posts)
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 09:48 AM Mar 2015

'Family' feeling at Ferguson PD last night, to near calamity - Protestor's perspective on shootings

Last edited Thu Mar 12, 2015, 05:01 PM - Edit history (1)

____Deray McKesson is a teacher who hails from Baltimore (my neck of the woods) who has been in Ferguson since the beginning of the protests. He's immediately recognizable in his blue down vest and well-known to anyone who's been following events in Ferguson on Twitter. Deray was, characteristically, in fron of the Ferguson PD last night participating in a peaceful, but determined protest when, later in the evening, the two officers were shot. He's provided a vivid and typically insightful account of events before and after the shootings on his twitter page which I recorded last night as events unfolded. Deray has offered his tweets and vines to the 'media', with proper attribution...

deray mckesson @deray · 4h 4 hours ago
Media, you can use any content of tweets/vines. Just give credit. Tell the truth.


I think he'd be fine with sharing them here at DU, so...read all the way through (vine videos are linked in the tweets on this page on the hour (9h hours ago, etc.)) and gain a bit of insight into the evening's events from the perspective of a very engaging and caring person who deserves all of the respect we can manage for his dedication and commitment to the protest efforts there and elsewhere, like his appearance in Selma this past weekend. We are very fortunate to have Deray as a witness to events in Ferguson, and as a participant in numerous demonstrations, reporting, and many other forums, as well.



deray mckesson @deray · Mar 8
Selma. #Selma50


The evening begins like so many other eventful and tragic ones throughout these 215 days of protest...


deray mckesson @deray · 10h 10 hours ago
Y'all, it feels like October out here. So many protestors. So much family. The movement lives. Ferguson.


deray mckesson @deray · 10h 10 hours ago
Ferguson PD. Protest.


deray mckesson @deray · 10h 10 hours ago
It's incredible out here. It feels like the old days of protest. This will be a long summer. Ferguson.


deray mckesson @deray · 10h 10 hours ago
And the Ferguson PD is nowhere to be found. You know, they shouldn't even exist.


deray mckesson @deray · 10h 10 hours ago
It's wild just walking on the Ferguson PD lot like this. Months ago, they would've had 100 riot police out here. How times have changed.


deray mckesson @deray · 10h 10 hours ago
Apparently the police are coming down the street. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 10h 10 hours ago
And one Ferguson PD car arrives. Protest.


deray mckesson @deray · 10h 10 hours ago
And yes, someone is playing Boosie. This is just like the old days. Yes, yes, and yes. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 10h 10 hours ago
And the police helicopter is out. Here we go. Ferguson PD


deray mckesson @deray · 10h 10 hours ago
And the riot gear is here. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 10h 10 hours ago
And the police attempt to move us. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 10h 10 hours ago
I haven't seen this few officers try to manage us...ever. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 10h 10 hours ago
Ferguson PD. We protest.




deray mckesson @deray · 10h 10 hours ago
Protest. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 10h 10 hours ago
It's crazy to be out here and think about all those nights from August - November. It's crazy to remember how it once was. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
There is NO Ferguson PD officer out here. That's fascinating.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
Officers from everywhere but Ferguson. Ferguson PD.




deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
Officers from across STL. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
These officers are shaky out here. They are new to the protests. Whew. They just sent any officer out here tonight. Ferguson.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
And the first arrest. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
LOOK AT THE POLICE MANHANDLE HIM.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
This is wild. The police are out of control. Disband the PD


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
I can't even describe how wild this is. The police are terrible.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
And apparently the police arrested a 10 year old tonight. I didn't see it though. But it has the crowd tense. Ferguson.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
The guy was arrested for just being in the street. It was a random arrest. The police are awful. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
And two arrests later, we are still blocking the street. And the police are blocking the lot to the PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
The street is blocked. She's crying. And won't back up. Standstill. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
Standstill. Ferguson PD. https://vine.co/v/O9ejp57XiDj


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
There are more officers out here now. Perhaps about 40 officers. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
There's also a lot of media out here too. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
Look. At. The. Police. https://vine.co/v/O9eFJzxDOvE


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
This. https://vine.co/v/O9eFH0Z22LM


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
It's tense out here now. Ferguson. https://vine.co/v/O9eUOeLB0LI


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
The police retreat. Ferguson PD


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
We've officially gone back to August. Here we go. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
This officer from Edmundson was choking @rikrik__. M. Anton.




deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
Apparently Mike Brown Sr. is coming down the street, so we've opened the street temporarily. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
Mike Brown Sr. just drove by the protest. That hasn't happened before. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
And a drummer just arrived. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
Protest, to the beat. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
Tonight. Y'all.


deray mckesson @deray · 9h 9 hours ago
Tonight is spinning out of control. Aye.


deray mckesson @deray · 8h 8 hours ago

Here we go. https://vine.co/v/O9iM5wqEX5I


deray mckesson @deray · 8h 8 hours ago
And now the police have blocked off the street. Standstill. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 8h 8 hours ago
The street is now open. It's cat and mouse w/ the police at this point.


deray mckesson @deray · 8h 8 hours ago
No tweet or vine will help you understand how intensely the police protect this street. It's wild. And it's been wild since August.


deray mckesson @deray · 8h 8 hours ago
We're all looking forward to the day that the Ferguson PR is disbanded. They are a mockery of justice.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
.@KWRose and @RE_invent_ED were allowed to cross the police line to go to post bond for those arrested tonight. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 8h 8 hours ago
And this guy is really grilling. Chicken and errything. Like, the grill is full.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago

Somebody just shot the police! https://vine.co/v/O9iUVEBv2rq



deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago

Holy shit. There were just like 4 shots. It seems like an officer was shot. Shit



deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
Guns drawn. Ferguson PD.




deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
The officers just called for an ambulance. I don't know if someone got hit. This is now crazy. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
Protestors are starting to leave. I'm in the car and was in the car when the shots were fired. Wild. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
The officers are on 10,000 right now. I can't even explain it. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
Guns drawn. Ferguson PD.




deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
The shooter was at the top of the hill. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
Officers with guns drawn. Ferguson PD.




deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
Current scene. It's wild. Ferguson PD https://vine.co/v/O9ixUQm7LK1


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
It's like a ton of officers out here now. I'm still in the car. It just got more intense than any night we've ever had. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
They are about to storm the hill. It's crazy intense out here. Wow. #Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
There are too many police for me to exit the parking lot right now. Street completely blocked. This is wild. Ferguson PD


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
Shotguns out. They are advancing. Crazy. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
Police advance. https://vine.co/v/O9i2LPKMiWt


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
Officers told us to put our hands up. Intense. Ferguson PD. https://vine.co/v/O9i0mOYKTne


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
There's a car parked at the top of the street. And they are surrounding it. They're asking if they saw anything. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
Huge rifles out now. Every officer crouching. Tonight has been crazy from start to finish. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
I can hear the officers yelling atop the hill. Can't see any of the officers though. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
There's a whole set of protestors on the other side of the parking lot. They're stuck on that side. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 6h 6 hours ago
The officers waited a long time to go up the hill. They're still up there. It seems unlikely that the shooter is up there now. FergusonPD.


deray mckesson @deray · 6h 6 hours ago
The ambulance just left the scene. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson retweeted
Keith Rose @KWRose · 7h 7 hours ago
.@RE_invent_ED, Lawyer @javadesq, & I were forced to go into #Ferguson PD for our safety. Officers running around with assault rifles.


deray mckesson retweeted
Keith Rose @KWRose · 8h 8 hours ago
.@RE_invent_ED and I are safe. We are outside hiding behind the concrete. Officer is bleeding badly. But I'm not posting unedited video.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
Another set of officers just arrived. Guns drawn. And police dog. All went up the hill. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago

I feel safer just sitting in the car than moving at all at this point. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
Rifles drawn. Ferguson PD.




deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
Current scene. Ferguson PD. https://vine.co/v/O9illHDUw3z


deray mckesson @deray · 6h 6 hours ago
They've now put officers on the lot. And these officers are really emotional right now. Not a good combo at all. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 6h 6 hours ago
Police are walking protestors to the other side of the street, across the police tape, now. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
I do not condone the killing of police officers. I do not condone the killing of the unarmed. I do not condone killing.


deray mckesson @deray · 7h 7 hours ago
This has been a long 215 days


deray mckesson @deray · 6h 6 hours ago
Now, I was here. I saw the officer fall. The shot came from at least 500 feet away from the officers. Ferguson PD.


deray mckesson retweeted
Loctavia Butler @LovnMyLocs · 6h 6 hours ago
That was no regular shooter. It’s impossible. It was HELLAS ppl and aoace between where the shots came from and those cops.


deray mckesson retweeted
KayRay @RE_invent_ED · 6h 6 hours ago
The shots came from behind the protestors. Bullets don't have names. It literally could've been anyone


deray mckesson retweeted
KayRay @RE_invent_ED · 6h 6 hours ago
215 days and no officer was ever injured by a protestor. That didn't change tonight.


ShordeeDooWhop ?@Nettaaaaaaaa
The media better not start that shit and the police better not lie. Those shots did not come from the lot were the protesters were at.


deray mckesson @deray · 6h 6 hours ago
The shots did not come from any lot with protestors. Ferguson.


deray mckesson @deray · 6h 6 hours ago
The police know that protestors weren't the shooter. That's why they didn't detain us. They went for the hill where none of us were.


deray mckesson retweeted
ShordeeDooWhop @Nettaaaaaaaa · 6h 6 hours ago
It's no way on earth if it was protestors they would've let everyone leave and drive off the lot. No way


deray mckesson @deray · 6h 6 hours ago
It's eerily calm out here right now. Tense because the officers have weapons drawn. But eerily calm nonetheless. Ferguson.


deray mckesson retweeted
Dr. Cornel Fresh @WyzeChef · 6h 6 hours ago
The officer shot (in the face) is conscious. It couldn't have been something heavy. It definitely sounded like a pistol.


deray mckesson retweeted
Christine Byers ?@ChristineDByers
Belmar says both officers conscious but have "very serious" injuries


deray mckesson retweeted
McBlondeLand @McBlondeLand · 6h 6 hours ago
@deray #Belmar just said he was sure the shooter was in midst of protestors & shot cops point blank although he hadn't talked to witnesses


deray mckesson @deray · 6h 6 hours ago
The police wouldn't let a few of us leave this lot because they wanted statements from us because we were close to the hill, not suspects.


deray mckesson @deray · 6h 6 hours ago
The police just said the last of us can leave the lot now. Ferguson.


deray mckesson @deray · 6h 6 hours ago
It is disgusting that Belmar is saying the shooter was "embedded in" the protestor group w/o speaking to any witnesses or seeing evidence.


deray mckesson @deray · 6h 6 hours ago
And about 30 more officers just went up the hill. Ferguson.


deray mckesson @deray · 6h 6 hours ago
I'm heading home now.


deray mckesson @deray · 5h 5 hours ago
And on the way home I get stopped by the police. Apparently I was going 43 mph and the speed limit is 30 mph. I just want to go home.


deray mckesson @deray · 5h 5 hours ago
No ticket. He recognized me from Twitter and told me to have a good night and to slow down. Homebound.


deray mckesson @deray · 5h 5 hours ago
The officer also said that contrary to reports, no officer was shot in the face tonight. He said chest and shoulder only.


deray mckesson @deray · 5h 5 hours ago
The officer also let me know that the two officers shot will be okay, that the bulletproof vest of one of them saved his life.


deray mckesson @deray · 5h 5 hours ago
For what it's worth, the officer that pulled me over completely understood the nature of the unrest. He got why we're protesting.


deray mckesson @deray · 5h 5 hours ago
If Mike Brown were still alive, we wouldn't be protesting. We all would've been home tonight.


deray mckesson @deray · 5h 5 hours ago
I asked him why he became an officer. And he said that a loved one was killed in a senseless murder. That made him join the force.


deray mckesson @deray · 5h 5 hours ago
The officer that pulled me over also noted that he'd be leaving the police force soon to pursue another career path. I encouraged that.


deray mckesson @deray · 5h 5 hours ago
Sleep well, y'all. Remember to dream.






ron fullwood @ronfullwood (bigtree)
81 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
'Family' feeling at Ferguson PD last night, to near calamity - Protestor's perspective on shootings (Original Post) bigtree Mar 2015 OP
. bigtree Mar 2015 #1
I just read thru the whole thing. yodermon Mar 2015 #2
That is a remarkable account - thanks for sharing the tweets. nt el_bryanto Mar 2015 #3
k&r nt steve2470 Mar 2015 #4
Very interesting. underpants Mar 2015 #5
gives a much better sense of events than the media reports. salin Mar 2015 #6
Excellent post. Makes what happened very clear. jwirr Mar 2015 #7
»Shaun King bigtree Mar 2015 #8
» Matt Pearce - National reporter for the Los Angeles Times. bigtree Mar 2015 #9
Thanks for putting all that together, bigtree. Sissyk Mar 2015 #10
thanks for kicking, Sissyk bigtree Mar 2015 #11
I agree about that. Sissyk Mar 2015 #13
Seriously, bigtree, this is a real service. blm Mar 2015 #78
twitter rules bigtree Mar 2015 #81
» Donna Brazile bigtree Mar 2015 #12
»Kit O'Connell - journalist. #MyMPN Web Editor bigtree Mar 2015 #14
Map of where the two officers were shot bigtree Mar 2015 #15
K&R BumRushDaShow Mar 2015 #16
citizen journalists bigtree Mar 2015 #19
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #17
interesting bigtree Mar 2015 #20
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #21
read the article I posted on edit bigtree Mar 2015 #22
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #23
on edit in my first reply to you bigtree Mar 2015 #24
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #25
I'm not privileged to info on how he 'supports himself' bigtree Mar 2015 #27
How do you support yourself? Tsiyu Mar 2015 #38
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #40
One has NOTHING to do with the other Tsiyu Mar 2015 #43
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #45
The difference between a "moment" and a "movement" BumRushDaShow Mar 2015 #34
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #35
And if they show up to vote Tsiyu Mar 2015 #39
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #41
If you bothered to read the report Tsiyu Mar 2015 #46
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #47
Sorry, your cluelesness about Ferguson gives you away Tsiyu Mar 2015 #49
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #51
. bravenak Mar 2015 #60
+1 bravenak Mar 2015 #59
It's astounding how clueless people are Tsiyu Mar 2015 #64
It signed up for me so here I am to enjoy the show. bravenak Mar 2015 #66
... Tsiyu Mar 2015 #48
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #50
You heard a black radio host! ZOMG!!!!!!!! Tsiyu Mar 2015 #52
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #53
Look at you. bravenak Mar 2015 #63
That poster is very calm. bravenak Mar 2015 #65
I know about the issue of the voting BumRushDaShow Mar 2015 #54
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #55
Where were you 'dissed'? n/t LeftOfWest Mar 2015 #57
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #58
I feel that soon BumRushDaShow Mar 2015 #61
hahahahaah! bigtree Mar 2015 #69
Shut'Em Down BumRushDaShow Mar 2015 #72
it often takes time for a community to stand up against the overwhelming pattern and practice bigtree Mar 2015 #37
Thank you bigtree BumRushDaShow Mar 2015 #56
Maybe he found something else to do, why do you assume he must go back and teach? Rex Mar 2015 #32
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #33
I think that most of his detractors would say the same as you bigtree Mar 2015 #36
We don't solve community problems without involvement of actual humans Tsiyu Mar 2015 #42
Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #44
You are sooo very understanding about the police 'overreacting'. Suprise!!! bravenak Mar 2015 #62
I'm shocked, shocked I tell you! Tsiyu Mar 2015 #67
I saw the holes in this story immediately. bravenak Mar 2015 #68
Awww! bravenak Mar 2015 #70
And we were having so much fun! Tsiyu Mar 2015 #71
I want to thank the Academy for giving me the opportunity to win this award! bravenak Mar 2015 #73
lol "They love me! They really love me!" Tsiyu Mar 2015 #75
Hell yeah! We should all be able to see that the DOJ report let us into the truth. bravenak Mar 2015 #77
K & R great reading. mountain grammy Mar 2015 #18
This is the part that jumped out at me. NoJusticeNoPeace Mar 2015 #26
It always amazes me how quickly these non-violent protests can disintegrate bigtree Mar 2015 #28
Remember, these cops think AfAm are animals. Of course they have met with KKK members NoJusticeNoPeace Mar 2015 #29
'If Mike Brown were still alive, we wouldn't be protesting. We all would've been home tonight.' Rex Mar 2015 #30
amazing account WDIM Mar 2015 #31
K&R..mahalo bigtree :( Cha Mar 2015 #74
Just doesn't seem like the shots were from a protestor blm Mar 2015 #76
Prayer Vigil bigtree Mar 2015 #79
Chanting, drumming bigtree Mar 2015 #80

bigtree

(85,915 posts)
8. »Shaun King
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 04:33 PM
Mar 2015
Shaun King @ShaunKing · 3h 3 hours ago

Respected leader @Deray witnessed the shooting & said it was over 500 feet away.
https://twitter.com/deray/status/575903708149473280

bigtree

(85,915 posts)
9. » Matt Pearce - National reporter for the Los Angeles Times.
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 04:50 PM
Mar 2015
Matt Pearce @mattdpearce · 4h 4 hours ago
Belmar said this morning: "These protesters were among the shooters who shot at the police officers." Doesn't jive with witness accounts.


Matt Pearce @mattdpearce · 4h 4 hours ago
Five witnesses at the scene all said shots came from behind where protesters gathered. What they told me last night: http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-ferguson-shootings-20150312-story.html

Matt Pearce @mattdpearce · 60m 60 minutes ago
Seven Ferguson witnesses now tell me the shots came from up Tiffin Ave. on the hill that overlooks the police station — not from protesters.

Sissyk

(12,665 posts)
10. Thanks for putting all that together, bigtree.
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 04:58 PM
Mar 2015

Deray is one I have followed from the beginning on twitter.

bigtree

(85,915 posts)
11. thanks for kicking, Sissyk
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 05:18 PM
Mar 2015

...and giving it visibility

Deray is an extraordinary individual whose heart shows through in every communication he makes.

bigtree

(85,915 posts)
81. twitter rules
Fri Mar 13, 2015, 05:26 AM
Mar 2015

...one of the most promising developments from the tragedy last summer and the protests. You can usually find many examples there of excellent citizen journalism after major events in Ferguson, but Deray has a knack for observation and heart combined. All I've done is reverse the order of tweets, edit a few out, and link some in a 'storify' type of post. The author is certainly kind and generous in sharing all of this with us and others. Credit goes to Mr. McKesson, but I'm certain he'd welcome your inspired efforts, blm.

bigtree

(85,915 posts)
12. » Donna Brazile
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 05:19 PM
Mar 2015
Donna Brazile ?@donnabrazile 22m22 minutes ago
Eyewitness to Ferguson Police Shooting: Gunfire Did Not Come From Area of Nonviolent Protest http://shar.es/1fuYQ1 via @sharethis


Donna Brazile ?@donnabrazile 35m35 minutes ago
There are peaceful law abiding citizens in #Ferguson calling for change. They must be allowed to protest. The agitators will be identified.

bigtree

(85,915 posts)
14. »Kit O'Connell - journalist. #MyMPN Web Editor
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 05:48 PM
Mar 2015
Kit O'Connell ?@KitOConnell 2m2 minutes ago

Eyewitness to #Ferguson #Police Shooting: Gunfire Did Not Come From #Potest Area
via @YouTube #BlackLivesMatter

bigtree

(85,915 posts)
15. Map of where the two officers were shot
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 06:34 PM
Mar 2015
Jon Passantino ?@passantino 38m38 minutes ago

Map of where the two officers were shot last night during a protest at the Ferguson PD http://bzfd.it/1HNfr3j


bigtree

(85,915 posts)
19. citizen journalists
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 06:50 PM
Mar 2015

...one of the most phenomenal developments that has come out of the original tragedy and the protests which followed; citizens on the internet reporting from perspectives and life experiences which have been passed over and glossed over by the mainstream media for decades, especially the accounts featured on twitter.

Response to bigtree (Original post)

bigtree

(85,915 posts)
20. interesting
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 06:52 PM
Mar 2015

...I wonder if you'd make the same commitment?

I don't believe he's currently employed in that teaching field and his time is entirely voluntary, enabled in part by random donations from the public.

*on edit:

from Salon, Dec 8, 2014:

“I didn’t want that to be the story about Mike Brown”: Meet the man showing America the real Ferguson story

DeRay Mckesson had never met Michael Brown. He’d never even been to the St. Louis area before Aug. 16, but after watching the protests break across his social media feeds, he got in his car and headed out, leaving a note on his Facebook page asking if anyone could help him find a place to stay.

“I didn’t know what was real or not,” he tells Salon. He had to see for himself, to be part of it. When he was tear-gassed for the first time, it only made him more committed to building a lasting movement.

That was almost four months ago. Since then, he’s become one of the most recognizable social media presences keeping the public updated on the protests in Ferguson and elsewhere, as they’ve spread across the country. He started an email newsletter that he co-curates with Johnetta Elzie, another young activist based in St. Louis, sending out articles, action alerts, photos and tweets about the growing movement. The newsletter serves to connect people with actions and with each other, to filter an overwhelming volume of news reports, and to maintain a narrative of the movement going forward.

To Mckesson, the newsletter is about “fighting this fight in a different way.” He remembers the night the verdict came down that George Zimmerman, the Florida man who shot Trayvon Martin, would get off. “I remember it was like at night when the verdict came out and you were alone, you didn’t know who to talk to, you couldn’t find any information then, you didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t,” he says. “I didn’t want that to be the story about Mike Brown.”

As the protests have spread and continued around the country, blocking highways and streets, shuttering stores, dying-in in public spaces, Mckesson notes, “Ferguson manifests differently in many different places.” It is important, he says, to remember that when you are facing down violent police, it is hard to move beyond basic survival as a goal. People understandably have a hard time talking about systemic reform with a gun in their face or when they can’t pay the bills. That’s why, as an educator and activist, he feels compelled to stay in this movement. “You have to be alive to learn,” he says. All of the improvement in schools in the world will mean nothing if kids are being killed by the people who are supposed to protect them.


read more: http://www.salon.com/2014/12/08/%E2%80%9Ci_didnt_want_that_to_be_the_story_about_mike_brown%E2%80%9D_meet_the_man_showing_america_the_real_ferguson_story/

Response to bigtree (Reply #20)

Response to bigtree (Reply #22)

Response to bigtree (Reply #24)

bigtree

(85,915 posts)
27. I'm not privileged to info on how he 'supports himself'
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 07:09 PM
Mar 2015

...or any of the others who've dedicated themselves to protesting and highlighting the cause of police brutality in Ferguson and and other parts of the nation where it occurs. From all appearances, his commitment is voluntary and not sponsored by any particular group, organization, or established journalistic enterprise.

Tsiyu

(18,186 posts)
38. How do you support yourself?
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 08:10 PM
Mar 2015

Please enlighten us all.

And why is that your primary concern here? Do you think George Soros is funding him?

Response to Tsiyu (Reply #38)

Tsiyu

(18,186 posts)
43. One has NOTHING to do with the other
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 08:19 PM
Mar 2015

Methinks you're playing a sick, sick game.

Carry on. It won't last long, I'm sure.

Response to Tsiyu (Reply #43)

BumRushDaShow

(127,289 posts)
34. The difference between a "moment" and a "movement"
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 07:37 PM
Mar 2015

is "sacrifice" (an expression oft-mentioned by radio host/activist Joe Madison).

Back in the early-mid '60s, you had people who rode buses to the south (Freedom Riders), supported by family and friends and civil rights organizations, all volunteering to protest to make change happen (and endangering themselves while doing so).

As Rev. Sharpton said during his Rosa Parks eulogy (at the 3:14 min mark) -

"You realize that Dr. King, Dr.Abernathy and them, formed a boycott after Rosa Parks, where people stayed off the bus for a year, went to rallies every night, and they never had email, never had a cell phone, never could go online... Here you got 2 cell phones in your pocket, emails, computers at the house, and can't even get a block association meeting together."



The black residents of Montgomery, AL kept at it - not for a couple days, not for a couple months, but for over a year. And by not riding those buses, they nearly bankrupted the bus company. And change finally happened.

The fact that we're watching the rotten core of Ferguson disintegrating before our eyes after 7 months (with the help of the DOJ) is the result of protestors and people demanding that justice be done. And one has to keep at it until the demands are met - part of the very definition of the First Amendment -

"...the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."


Many in the younger generation are spoiled rotten and it's refreshing to see the commitment of someone like the individual who is the subject of the OP, in this era of soundbites and instant gratification. This nation has gone through periods where we made great strides ("Reconstruction&quot and made great leaps backward ("Jim Crow&quot . And made more strides ("Civil Rights Era&quot but we're now going through a pendulum swing back again with the torpedoing of affirmative action, parts of the Voting Rights Act, and the introduction of many pieces of Jim Crow legislation, dressed up as "James Crow, Esq", designed to take us back to the "good old days'.

Response to BumRushDaShow (Reply #34)

Tsiyu

(18,186 posts)
39. And if they show up to vote
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 08:12 PM
Mar 2015

they would be arrested. You obviously have NOT read the DOJ report.

BTW, great choice of username and avatar. You are very clever, gotta give you that.


Response to Tsiyu (Reply #39)

Tsiyu

(18,186 posts)
46. If you bothered to read the report
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 08:23 PM
Mar 2015

you would learn some very interesting facts about Ferguson.

Funny how you're so interested in the place, but you have no clue about how the town has continually harassed and incarcerated these people for the most minor infractions.

You think it's fucking funny? You think you're some kind of goddamned genius here? NO!

You're playing with people, and it's sick.

Take it to free fucking republic where they have circle jerks you can really get behind.

Response to Tsiyu (Reply #46)

Tsiyu

(18,186 posts)
49. Sorry, your cluelesness about Ferguson gives you away
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 08:31 PM
Mar 2015

A true progressive would never ask what you're asking.

Play with someone else. You bore me with your inane drivel.

Response to Tsiyu (Reply #49)

Tsiyu

(18,186 posts)
64. It's astounding how clueless people are
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 08:58 PM
Mar 2015

about the systemic abuse of the people in Ferguson. And then call themselves progressive?

"Hey everybody! I'm the Queen, too!"

This one is playing a game. Prolly won't be here long.

 

bravenak

(34,648 posts)
66. It signed up for me so here I am to enjoy the show.
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 09:01 PM
Mar 2015

I got a hide telling it off so I feel like I paid for the show. Amazing how obvious this one is. I sent it a pm predicting a pizza and it posted it in GD.

Tsiyu

(18,186 posts)
48. ...
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 08:29 PM
Mar 2015

The U.S. Department of Justice's shocking report on deeply ingrained, racially charged violations by police and others in Ferguson, Missouri should serve other police agencies facing similar tensions as a cautionary tale of what not to do. The DOJ investigation found evidence that Ferguson city and police officials exchanged racist emails, used excessive force on black residents and depended on a bevy of tickets and fines from the city's mostly black residents to fill its coffers.

Municipal court officials and Ferguson police department supervisors outrageously helped "friends, colleagues, acquaintances and themselves" in fixing fines and tickets for colleagues and friends, the report alleges.

Ferguson, Missouri, is not unique, for sure. Cleveland and a number of other cities have been hit by recent blistering Justice Department investigative reports that detail how their police officers have engaged in excessive force and violated the constitutional rights of citizens with little accountability for their actions.

But that doesn't mean that Ferguson or any city can be allowed to continue to pervert the law and create conditions that create a "pervasive, corrosive and deeply unfortunate lack of trust" in city government, as U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder put it regarding Ferguson last week.

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/03/justice_departments_ferguson_r.html


So you're trying to tell me that, even knowing that people were being targeted by cops, that 3 arrest warrants were issued for EACH HOUSEHOLD in Ferguson, that the citizens should have felt safe going to the polls? They had better turnout than a lot of affluent areas in the US, but they should be BETTER than white communities, right? They have to DO MORE to prove themselves? They have to take risks no white person would DARE take just to vote? And you want to criticize them? Hilarious, that.

Get out of here. You know NOTHING.

Response to Tsiyu (Reply #48)

Response to Tsiyu (Reply #52)

 

bravenak

(34,648 posts)
65. That poster is very calm.
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 08:59 PM
Mar 2015

You are cracking me up.
"A black radio host said so!" "He was a liberal!!!" "You're so rude!!"

BumRushDaShow

(127,289 posts)
54. I know about the issue of the voting
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 08:40 PM
Mar 2015

But then I read that because such a high percentage of people were victims of what was the "trap-the-black-to-fund-the government" schtick that they had going there, with the revolving door of court appearances due to citations, tickets, fines, penalties, and outstanding warrants - THAT was apparently keeping people away from polling sites in fear of being arrested and hauled off to jail for the outstanding debts, etc. This is a perspective that didn't even cross my mind until I saw it mentioned and makes sense based on what the DOJ uncovered there... It's FEAR.

You should ask why the state of Mississippi, despite a population that is some 39% black, is a deep red state? It's the same pathos. I consider it PTSD, where you have masses of people so demoralized and beaten down and fearful, they just stop fighting, tune out, and sometimes act out.

And it seems you miss the whole point of a "movement". There was no literal comparison of Rosa Parks to Michael Brown. The comparison IS, that people felt aggrieved and rose up to fight it. What happened in Ferguson wasn't just "Michael Brown". It was a culmination of the harassment that people suffered 24/7/365. If you can't see what was uncovered by the DOJ regarding the systemic racism that infested this town, in a manner essentially no different than what infested Montgomery, AL., then I take offense at your dismissal of the core of the problem.

Response to BumRushDaShow (Reply #54)

Response to LeftOfWest (Reply #57)

BumRushDaShow

(127,289 posts)
61. I feel that soon
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 08:55 PM
Mar 2015

this thread will be full of "Message Removed". But so be it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026353549#post35

I take offense comparing Brown to Rosa Parks, MLK, Emmett Till, etc. but that's another argument for another day...

bigtree

(85,915 posts)
37. it often takes time for a community to stand up against the overwhelming pattern and practice
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 08:01 PM
Mar 2015

...of racism, bigotry, violence, and corruption outlined in the Justice Dept. investigation and report just issued. We should celebrate and commend those who find the courage and strength to commit themselves to protest in these oppressive towns; not question their integrity and motivation, as the poster is doing here.

You make your point very succinctly and well-stated, BumRushDaShow.

BumRushDaShow

(127,289 posts)
56. Thank you bigtree
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 08:44 PM
Mar 2015


And this thread has been enlightening and hopefully it can and will enlighten others.
 

Rex

(65,616 posts)
32. Maybe he found something else to do, why do you assume he must go back and teach?
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 07:23 PM
Mar 2015

Maybe he doesn't have to.

Response to Rex (Reply #32)

bigtree

(85,915 posts)
36. I think that most of his detractors would say the same as you
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 07:46 PM
Mar 2015

Last edited Sun Jun 21, 2015, 05:18 PM - Edit history (1)

...I'd strongly disagree and I'd recommend you take a broader and more personal view of events in Ferguson and consider, as I originally queried, why you don't feel compelled to commit yourself as thoroughly and selflessly as this man or the thousands of others who are presently involving themselves in protests and activism around the nation in protest and in support of this cause.


from the Bowdoin Orient:

McKesson began to document the protests via Twitter because he was frustrated that the media—distracted by the shocking optics of the police response—had forgotten the purpose of the demonstrations, which he referred to as “principled protesting.”

“I never thought in America that I would run and hop fences because I thought police were going to shoot me when I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said.

Despite his fear, McKesson said he always remained committed to the cause.

“You continue to protest because you believe,” he said. “You believe that what’s right outweighs the fear for your own safety.”

The media’s attention has drifted away from Ferguson, but McKesson’s has not. He has returned several times and helps write a daily newsletter about the protest movement at hashtagferguson.org

McKesson said that his experiences in Ferguson have not made him more cynical, but that they have made him more vigilant.

“It was a reminder of the obligation to defend and protect democracy—the concept and reality of democracy—on all fronts,” he said. “There are more Fergusons in America.”


from Teach for America:

A native of Baltimore, DeRay McKesson is a graduate of Bowdoin College and began his career as a 6th grade math teacher in New York City as a member of the 2007 Teach For America corps. As a teenager, he worked as a community organizer, training youth and adults to work together to overcome community challenges with Baltimore’s Safe and Sound Campaign. He has also worked for the Harlem Children’s Zone, opened an academic enrichment center for middle grades in West Baltimore, served on grant-making boards, and has worked for TNTP. The majority of his career, however, has been working for school systems, leading Human Capital initiatives. He was previously the Special Assistant in the Office of Human Capital with Baltimore City Public Schools for 3 years and is currently the Senior Director of Human Capital with Minneapolis Public Schools. He works to ensure that structures and systems support all kids and that only the most talented and able adults work with and support our schools and students.



My Blackness Is Not A Weapon
by DeRay
August 21, 2014



“I got my hands on my head, please don’t shoot me dead.”

From the 5 days that I’ve been here marching and protesting thus far, this chant hits me the hardest.

I’ve been tear gassed 3 times, chased by an armored SWAT vehicle, and have had to hide under my steering wheel to avoid detection, in Ferguson, MO. And on the first night that officers patrolled the entire area on foot, when they stormed the crowd, I ran with my hands high, thinking that I could be taking my final steps. I’ll never forget running past the police, fighting back tears, with my hands as high as possible, afraid of my country...

As a kid, I remember the nights we slept on the floor because the gunshots were so close to the house and it was less likely that a bullet would go through a floorboard than a window or wall.

I became a teacher because I wanted to make sure that kids in communities like mine had the skills and opportunities to follow their dreams. I wanted to show my students that they, too, could master math skills and content and love it.

But I also want them to be alive. Kids deserve to walk down the street and feel free, feel like they have ownership of their bodies and the spaces in which they live. As the child of a recovered and recovering drug addicts, it is important to me that life circumstances don’t limit kids' understanding of what is possible in their life and their world...

Here, in Ferguson, this community is looking for allies. This community is looking for people who are willing to assist in changing structural inequity in the name of social justice. And, simply, allies who fundamentally believe that black lives matter.

Since the beginning of the protests, I have carried a sign that reads, “My blackness is not a weapon.” This community wants blackness to be understood as complex, worthy, powerful, imaginative and gifted -- just like all other races.

We are all in this community. We are Ferguson, too.

Each night that I go to protest, I am afraid. But I believe in justice. And I am my brother’s keeper.


read: https://www.teachforamerica.org/blog/my-blackness-not-weapon

Tsiyu

(18,186 posts)
42. We don't solve community problems without involvement of actual humans
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 08:17 PM
Mar 2015

This is where this gentleman chose to spend his time. Why does that trouble you?

You are apparently clueless about the rampant, blatant abuse, exploitation and disenfranchisement of the people of Ferguson. FOR MANY MANY MANY MANY YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brown was merely the tip of a very deep, substantial iceberg.

If no one showed up or cared, some would say "See, they don't give a damn." A man dedicates some months to a cause, and suddenly this makes him suspect in your eyes.

I will never understand some people's fascination with the most irrelevant, trivial shite.

Response to Tsiyu (Reply #42)

Tsiyu

(18,186 posts)
67. I'm shocked, shocked I tell you!
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 09:05 PM
Mar 2015

Something tells me our 'Sistah' ain't really a sistah, if you know what I mean.

Long-time DU troll warrior here. Can't help myself. Before MIRT, on old DU, it was a sport to tombstone the trolls, but they get so durn clever. Or so they think.

Pretending to be Black or progressive, with absolutely no clue about the issues, is a glaring clue.

 

bravenak

(34,648 posts)
68. I saw the holes in this story immediately.
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 09:08 PM
Mar 2015

Then I came here and found you not buying the bullshit. I felt relieved. Believe me, I started wondering why I was the only one who could see it. This one likes lots of attention. Probably burn out fast, but so many will go along with it. Maybe that's why they think it's working.
I need to do a term on mirt and see it from the inside.

Tsiyu

(18,186 posts)
71. And we were having so much fun!
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 09:14 PM
Mar 2015


The most blatant ones always flame out, cuz they can't keep their own stories straight.

Good work, bravenak! It takes real discernment to spot them trolls, and you did.

You are officially a troll warrior, too!
 

bravenak

(34,648 posts)
73. I want to thank the Academy for giving me the opportunity to win this award!
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 09:17 PM
Mar 2015

This one was really amusing. It really thought it was fooling everybody.

Tsiyu

(18,186 posts)
75. lol "They love me! They really love me!"
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 09:30 PM
Mar 2015

Well, I love you, anyways!

They all think they're so smart, but they always give themselves away.

Any progressive SHOULD understand why people who are being harassed by cops don't vote, so that really gave it away. I have a friend - mixed race - who was targeted by cops in another county ( where I live, cops are pretty chill ) CONSTANTLY. But he has one of the most brilliant political minds I know, and he is NOT gonna not vote, especially when he had an uncle running for office.

Well, they got him on a silly warrant right after he voted. Someone ( rich white asshole who was running against my friend's uncle so he had an axe to grind ) said something to my friend at the polling place about his "legal status." So we know it was him.

The poor kid has so many fines now, he has little hope of paying them all off. And I know from his experience alone that going to the polls when you're being targeted by cops is a dangerous venture.

I wish people would open their minds.

Anyhoo, it's been a pleasure, bravenak!

 

bravenak

(34,648 posts)
77. Hell yeah! We should all be able to see that the DOJ report let us into the truth.
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 09:34 PM
Mar 2015

I have seen the harassment too many time to be skeptical. Thank you for the troll handling!!! It's like a contact sport.

NoJusticeNoPeace

(5,018 posts)
26. This is the part that jumped out at me.
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 07:08 PM
Mar 2015
And the police helicopter is out. Here we go. Ferguson PD


deray mckesson @deray · 10h 10 hours ago
And the riot gear is here. Ferguson PD.


I will assume shooting done by white supremacists or similar until proven by a credible source otherwise

bigtree

(85,915 posts)
28. It always amazes me how quickly these non-violent protests can disintegrate
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 07:15 PM
Mar 2015

...into violence; either from police, or provoked from outside agitators.

This account by Deray is typical of so many nights where intentions of protesters were geared toward a night of peaceful demonstration and were drawn into horrendous violence.

NoJusticeNoPeace

(5,018 posts)
29. Remember, these cops think AfAm are animals. Of course they have met with KKK members
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 07:17 PM
Mar 2015

or similar over beers complaining about all these uppity AfAm people who actually think they have rights.

of course they have talked about how good it would be to blame them for something

whether they acted on it or not, we will find out

 

Rex

(65,616 posts)
30. 'If Mike Brown were still alive, we wouldn't be protesting. We all would've been home tonight.'
Thu Mar 12, 2015, 07:18 PM
Mar 2015

So true. However some asshole cop just would not be satisfied until Brown was dead in the middle of the street. Thanks for the OP, very interesting read.

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