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"The lack of visible, tangible commitment of time,
resources, and most critical, the political influence
to make it happen is a clear sign that the racial justice
movement is going to have an uphill battle to get
accountability and cooperation."
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Recently the long awaited report by the Ferguson Commission was released. The report is appropriately titled “Forward Through Ferguson: A Path Toward Racial Equity.”
Before I could be overwhelmed by the 189 recommendations embedded in
the nearly 200 pages, I was underwhelmed by the region’s so-called
leaders. Where were the declarations of commitment, of pledged
resources, by those entrusted with the power to make change?
“I commit to you today that these efforts will not be in vain.” These
were the words of Governor Jay Nixon at the public release. That sounds
nice but the governor would’ve have been more convincing had he
punctuated that remark with very specific actions his own office would
be taking to implement parts of the report. That’s the main way Nixon
could ensure that the efforts of the 16-member commission and the
thousands of citizens engaged in the 10-month process would not be in
vain.
The impact of the release would be still reverberating had the governor
and his good ole boys in the executive and legislative bodies stood on
the stage and proclaimed what their respective office would do to
realize the recommendations. “Do” is a verb; in this case, it must be
an action verb.
Ferguson going up in smoke last August after the police murder of Mike
Brown exposed a simmering cauldron of injustices from police profiling
for profiteering to high unemployment. Governor Nixon could’ve shown
some real leadership by sharing a comprehensive plan for the region to
bring about systemic change. This was not leadership.
Why is this important? Because the report contained some good stuff,
recommendations for some serious policy changes that could make a
difference in the lives of black and working people. The lack of
visible, tangible commitment of time, resources, and most critical, the
political influence to make it happen is a clear sign that the racial
justice movement is going to have an uphill battle to get
accountability and cooperation. It would be so much more productive if
all of the citizen efforts could go towards implementing the
recommendations and not fighting with those who choose to uphold the
rotting status quo. The report was crystal clear that the structural
inequities of the region are rooted in racism. We don’t have the luxury
of wasting time and energy on pushing and pulling on resistant and
uncooperative power brokers who stand in the way of progress.
I am not dousing cold water on the report and the hard work that went
into the process. I am making an observation about how challenging this
will be from the jump if you don’t have major stakeholders clear about
their roles and responsibilities. This is a project that will take tens
of thousands of citizens in motion together if we are to collectively
forge a path to racial equity. The progressive sector must get more
strategic, more coordinated and more unified to build a strong movement
that will force victories out of a hostile system that is squeezing the
economic, social and political life out of our communities. We have
been duly warned that our oppressors will not cooperate. Let’s move
forward with our eyes wide open for the battle ahead.
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 is published every Thursday |
Executive Editor:
David A. Love, JD |
Managing Editor:
Nancy Littlefield, MBA |
Publisher:
Peter Gamble |
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