An unarmed black male was shot down in Ferguson, Mo. on the night of Aug. 9 2014. According to The Associated Press, Michael Brown was shot and killed by a white police officer.
Witnesses have stated that Brown had his hands up when he was shot. Both the FBI and the Justice Department have launched investigations alongside the St. Louis Police Department. Demonstrations of protest began shortly after the shooting in both Ferguson and St. Louis, Mo.
Although mostly peaceful protests have occurred, clashes between citizens and police, as well as looting, have not been uncommon. Both the Missouri National Guard and the state highway patrol have been called in to increase security in the area. Authorities have responded to the most violent clashes and protests by using tear gas and firing rubber bullets to disperse gathered crowds.
Lori Klein, assistant professor of public administration, offers a connection between the rioting and disruption in Ferguson and various demographics of the city. Klein said in addition to the racial strife, the issue plaguing Ferguson is a distrust between the citizenry and the government system. It has a relation to both the voting turnout with12 percent in the last mayoral election and the poverty level.
“No matter if there’s a racial issue that’s going on, the majority of the local people aren’t going to feel connected to their local government if only twelve percent of them are voting,” Klein said. “I think that’s a problem that would transcend racism.”
Klein compared the economic situations of White County and Ferguson, “White County has a $32,000 per household income, Ferguson has a $37,000 per household income. But, 22 percent of Ferguson is at poverty level, 14 percent of White County is.” She continued by saying, “Feeling like the system can’t take care of you, that’s a very dangerous threat to the system.”
“I hope that one of the things they begin to focus on is trying to educate people how to turn turnout, how to make your government responsive to (its) citizens, because clearly a 12 percent turnout is a problem.”
Whether the escalation of rioting and protests stems from purely racial tensions between blacks and whites or an underlying distrust of government, these violent demonstrations have been responded to on all levels. The AP quoted U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in his open letter to the city saying he will work for an end to the acts of violence in the streets of Ferguson.
As tensions rise in Ferguson, America looks on. The shooting of Michael Brown has once again spotlighted racial tension in the country, and the conclusion of this conflict has the potential to shape race relations in the future.
