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National Protests Expected After Grand Jury Verdict in Ferguson

Published

12 years ago

November 21, 2014

Residents in cities around the nation – and police departments – are awaiting the grand jury decision on whether to indict Darren Wilson, the white Ferguson police officer who shot and killed an unarmed 18-year old Michael Brown on Aug. 9 in Ferguson, Missouri.

If the grand jury fails to indict the policeman, groups in as many as 75 cities around the country are expected to protest. Announcement of the grand jury decision is expected on Sunday.

Meanwhile, law enforcement and government officials are gearing up for the protests. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon already has declared a state of emergency in Ferguson, calling in the National Guard and militarizing the local police force.

Other cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Oakland have readied their police forces as well in anticipation of demonstrations.

Seeking to provide a voice for what young people in Ferguson have to say, the PICO National Network organized a nationwide telephone press conference this week, moderated by Rev. Michael McBride of Berkeley, who is director of PICO’s Live Free Campaign.

During the press conference, youth activists on the ground in Ferguson, as well as religious and community leaders, spoke to the deep issues surrounding this controversy; which they say no one is addressing.

Those who participated in the teleconference included Rev. Traci Blackmon, Pastor of Christ The King United Church of Christ in Missouri; Teff Poe, youth activist and rapper; youth activist Rika Tyler; Patrisse Cullors of Black Lives Matter; T-Dubb-O, youth activist and rapper; and Tory Russell, co-founder of Hands Up United in St. Louis.

“While media and politicians like Gov. Nixon are focused on the threat of violent protests, looting and rioting, they are still not addressing the root of the problem – a broken justice and political system that systematically leaves communities of color devalued and disenfranchised,” Rev. McBride said.

“The issues that brought us to situations that caused the killing of Michael Brown are not new issues. They are deeply embedded issues of race and educational inequity, economic disparity, all things that we have known about for generations,” said Rev. Blackmon during the conference.

Rev. Traci Blackmon

Rev. Blackmon has been appointed to a newly created Ferguson Commission, a group of 16 people appointed by Gov. Nixon this week to address the “social and economic conditions” highlighted by the months of protests following Michael Brown’s killing.

The commission includes lawyers, CEOs, clergy, educators, police officials, and one youth activist, according to press reports.

“This commission is not so much focused on changing heart as it is in changing behavior, and we plan to do that by pushing through very aggressively legislation to change the way law enforcement acts, legislation that hopefully will level the playing field for our children in terms of academic pursuits,” Rev. Blackmon said.

While the newly organized commission has yet to prove its impact, youth activists in Ferguson have been relentless in the struggle for justice.

Rika Tyler, an HBCU student and mother of a young boy, addressed a letter to President Obama posing the question: Are you really your “brother’s keeper” Mr. President?

The letter, posted on Change.org with 1,300 signatures, asks the president to “call on Governor Nixon for the immediate de-escalation and de-militarization of law enforcement in Ferguson and St. Louis County.”

As a protester who has been on the ground in St. Louis for 103 days, rapper T-Dubb-O criticized the governor’s state of emergency. “It’s a declaration of war for the protesters, saying that they would do whatever they can to prevent us from punching the system in the mouth again,” he said.

“A system (has) been put in place to oppress a lower class of people and feed off of their poverty, and we’ve punched it in the face, something that hasn’t been done since the 60s,” he added.

Responding to published promises that police will not target nonviolent protesters, T-Dubb-O said his experience speaks otherwise.

“I’ve either seen an extreme act of policing or a lack of policing,” he said. “I’ve been tear-gassed and shot at, and I’ve always been a peaceful protester. I watched the police force allow rioting and looting to go on while they just pointed at people who were protesting and continued to gas, pepper spray and shoot at them.”

Rapper and youth activist Teff Poe

Rapper Teff Poe said, “America’s done an excellent job of making it seem like Black people are telling ‘boogey man’ stories when we talk about the police killing us in the middle of the street.”

He traveled to Geneva, Switzerland when Michael Brown’s family went to speak to the United Nations about their son’s tragedy.

“These are real people, they have a real life, they have other children outside of Mike Brown, they have a family that has its own culture,” he said, reflecting on the trip. “That just showed me that we have a lot of work to do, and we’re shooting ourselves in the foot if we continue to localize this fight.”

“We have to humanize ourselves on a worldwide level,” he said.

According to reports, Mayor Jean Quan addressed local residents in a letter saying, “Although we don’t anticipate problems to occur, keeping peace on our streets and protecting the safety of Oakland residents and businesses is our top priority and we will be prepared.”

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Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor’s Race

POST NEWS GROUP — Four candidates, including incumbent Mayor Barbara Lee, filed their papers to run for office by last Friday’s deadline, and the City Clerk issued a list this week of those who are qualified to run.

Published

2 days ago

August 15, 2026

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View of downtown Oakland, California and City Hall. iStock photo.

By Post Staff

The four mayoral candidates who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot are:

Brenda Grisham. A business owner in East Oakland and public safety advocate, Grisham led the successful recall campaign against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. As part of her platform, she pledges to work with local, state, and federal partners to secure stricter gun control measures and investments in community violence intervention programs.

Barbara Lee. A former congressional representative and state Assembly member, Lee was elected by voters in a special election last year for a two-year term. Now running for a four-year term, she points out that her administration achieved major successes in addressing some of the city’s major challenges, including balancing the city budget, dramatically reducing crime, and making significant inroads into homelessness and illegal dumping.

Mindy Pechenuk. An educator and activist, Pechenuk is a registered Republican and supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, who has been described by observers as a conspiracy theorist and cult leader. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor in last year’s special election and for the at-large council seat in 2024. She seeks to end Oakland’s police commission and MACRO and invest in more police while launching a new local war on drugs.

Julius Robinson. While little information is available so far about Robinson, he was quoted in a KTVU story about Thao’s recall, stating that people in Oakland want to come together as a community but lack infrastructure and leadership.

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Black History

Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops

POST NEWS GROUP — Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

Published

3 days ago

August 15, 2026

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George Jackson wrote two books: “Soledad Brother,” and “Blood in My Eye” before her was killed in an attempt to escape prison on Aug. 21, 1971.

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, “Soledad Brother” (1970), and “Blood in my Eye” (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party’s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids’ activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.

“We do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.” Combined with Youth Alive’s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.

“George Jackson/San Quentin” Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.