How Ferguson has changed 10 years after Michael Brown's death sparked massive protests

It’s been ten years since 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by an officer in Ferguson, Missouri. His death at the hands of police sparked massive protests and put the city in the national spotlight. News Hour communities correspondent Gabrielle Hays returned to Ferguson to see what’s changed a decade later.

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Geoff Bennett: It’s been 10 years since 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. His death at the hands of police sparked massive protests and put the city in the national spotlight.

Our communities correspondent, Gabrielle Hays, returned to Ferguson to see what’s changed a decade later.

Precious Barry, Resident of Ferguson, Missouri: I was in my grandmother’s room, and we saw it on the local news. And I saw the tragedy of just the police brutality going on. I saw the protesters outside. I saw the rioters. And I remember asking myself the question, what could I do at such an early age to make sure that we can rectify those injustices?

Hello, everybody. My name is Precious Barry. I have lived in Ferguson my whole life.

Michael Hollis, Resident of Ferguson, Missouri: My name is Michael Hollis, and I have lived in Ferguson over 20 years.

Yes, I just remember kind of being angry, kind of talking about it. We were young, man. We had no mature thoughts about it, I think. It just sucked.

Darrius Turner, Resident of Ferguson, Missouri: What I did notice is the way that my family and the people around me and the adults in my life started responding and reacting to me and the other little Black boys in my family and like in my friends, a lot of stuff like that.

They sheltered us a little more and they kept us a little, for fear of something like what happened to him happening to us.

My name is Darrius Turner. I have lived in Ferguson for about five to six years.

Jamie Dennis, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis: My name is Jamie Dennis, and I have worked in the city of Ferguson since 2014.

This was a pivotal moment in our country. It kind of opened up the lid on implicit bias, the racism that has affected our community.

Aaron Harris, Ferguson Youth Initiative: The murder of Michael Brown was the fire starter for a lot of the communities to begin to progress.

I’m Aaron Harris. I have been employed by the Ferguson Youth Initiative since December of 2016.

Michael Hollis: I think it was really just, we’re done. You know what I mean? Like, this is it. Like, you all done been pressing us all this time, and you took an innocent life. Yes, it’s just — people were just sick of it.

Melanie Marie Randels, Chosen for Change: My name is Melanie Marie Randels, and I have lived in Ferguson for 10 years. I moved to Ferguson three months before Mike Brown, when he was killed.

I feel like that kind of catapulted me into community organizing. Ferguson 10 years later is full of community, still full of a lot of questions. I think it’s still promising for change that we hope to see. Not quite there yet.

Michael Hollis: I will say things potentially are getting in a better place, but not necessarily off of natural progression.

Aaron Harris: There are signs of progress in Ferguson that I have noticed within City Council, within the city. We’re getting new shops in, new shop owners.

But as far as we have progressed, there’s always going to be those people trying to stunt the growth or stunt the progression. But I do believe that Ferguson is progressing and will continue to progress.

Jamie Dennis: I feel like there’s more that needs to be done, because it’s simply not enough. The disparity continues to grow. The attitude of the police department, it needs to shift as well,and also the attitude of the people in the community and kind of instill the pride that was once here maybe 15 or 20 years ago.

Melanie Marie Randels: Overall, systemic change seems to be where we are in need of. There’s definitely not enough of that.

Precious Barry: I do think about what happened 10 years ago. And what I would love to see more is more businesses in that community, more economic development that is going into that community, and just more people filled with love, filled with laughter, filled with joy all around, just being unified all at once.

Melanie Marie Randels: I just want Michael Brown Jr.’s legacy to be known as a young man who had a family, who had friends, who had a future.

I think, oftentimes, he was dehumanized. His character was assassinated a lot. And I just want people to remember him for who he was through those who love him.

Jamie Dennis: And I think Michael Brown should always go down in history and not infamy, but remembered as a person that did get chosen for change because what happened could have been prevented.

But since it didn’t, we have to pick up our pieces and learn how we can prevent another Mike Brown from happening.

Darrius Turner: We need to build the world and set up the world and change the world in a way where we can exist just like everybody else and not have to monitor and watch ourselves so much.

But until we get to that day, keep care — take care of us and keep track of us.