Demonstrators gathered at the corner of Elvis Presley Boulevard and Shelby Drive on Wednesday to raise awareness about police brutality in light of the recent events surrounding the aftermath of Michael Brown’s death during an altercation with a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.
Memphis United, a branch of the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center advocating for criminal justice reform and police accountability, organized the demonstration in an effort to shed light on racial tension in America---an issue they believe still polarizes the nation.
According to Memphis United’s website, the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager who was shot and killed by a white police officer on Aug. 9, has set into motion demonstrations, riots and speeches by civil rights leaders across the nation and “has catalyzed solidarity demonstrations all over the world.”
Other than the common theme, these protests were peaceful, unlike the occasionally violent protests in Missouri. No tear gas canisters were launched down Elvis Presley Boulevard nor rubber bullets fired. As a Memphis police officer drove past the demonstration, he gave a thumbs up to the protestors.
While the death of Michael Brown has only recently brought race relations in the U.S. into the public consciousness, the issue is nothing new for the black community in America, according to an organizing coordinator for the Peace and Justice Center and Memphis United, Marquita Bradshaw.
“You’ve had organizations working on these issues long before it became a hot thing,” Bradshaw said. “Some organizations have existed since the civil rights movement. The rest of the country is just catching up to what African-Americans have already known.”
While little is known about what led to Brown’s death, the situation has been analyzed and dissected by people on both ends of the spectrum. While many believe that the police officer was acting in self-defense, some see it as part of a larger picture that highlights unspoken racism and police brutality that many minorities still feel isolates them.
With the rise of demonstrations and protests surrounding Brown’s death, some believe that groups such as Memphis United are using the situation to “race bait,” influencing people to believe there was injustice done in Brown’s death, despite many questions remaining unanswered.
However, Bradshaw, along with Memphis United, believes Brown’s death was a tragedy and that certain measures should be taken to ensure that, in the future, there will be no doubt as to the sequence of events. Memphis United’s goals are the demilitarization of the police department, sensitivity training and dashboard and lapel cameras for all police officers.
Body-worn cameras have been part of some police departments’ uniforms since the early 2000s, but concerns over conflicting eyewitness accounts of Brown’s death have thrust the issue into the spotlight. The Ferguson police department began issuing body-worn cameras to its officers on Aug. 30. Other police departments have followed suit, in cities such as Redding, Calif. and New York City.
Bradshaw believes that if the officer would have been wearing a lapel camera, that there would have been no question as to what happened on Aug. 9. Furthermore, it may have spared the community several nights of heated encounters with the local law enforcement.
“Dash cameras and lapel cameras are tools of accountability,” Bradshaw said.
Ferguson isn’t the first time police violence has led to mass demonstrations and riots. In 1992, Rodney King was severely beaten by Los Angeles police officers. Unlike in the case of Michael Brown, however, the incident was captured on film. When the four officers were brought to trial and subsequently acquitted, a six-day riot broke out in downtown Los Angeles, killing 53, injuring 2000 and causing $1 billion in damage.
William Rose, a 15-year-old student at Freedom Preparatory Academy, attended the protest to help raise awareness about police accountability.
“We learned about Emmett Till in class and throughout history,” Rose said. “It’s a constant thing that keeps happening. So I’m here to take a stand.”
Business developer Kayla Thomas also attended the demonstration.
“If we don’t stand up for our rights, then who will?” Thomas said.
Bradshaw believes another pivotal point is a culture of racism in the U.S. To Bradshaw, it’s not limited to the criminal justice system, but also found in economics and education.
“Police training needs to move away from this military type of focus and move towards community policing,” Bradshaw said. “They also need to be more sensitive to the needs of minorities, whether those minorities be African-American, LGBT, people experiencing homelessness or people who have disabilities.”
Those looking to become involved with Memphis United can find more information at midsouthpeace.org.
