Like a fever, the news broke, but unlike a fever, it brought no relief, for the news, from the perspective of the National Black community, wasn’t good. The twelve member grand jury in Ferguson, investigating the killing of a Black teenager, Mike Brown, returned with “No True Bill,” legalese for no charges, no indictment, no case. Despite the fact that Brown was unarmed, no charge.
The name Ferguson joins an ancient line of place names of pain, loss and Black death. Places like Birmingham, Philadelphia and now Ferguson. It will have a meaning all its own. For young people, many of whom are new to activism, who felt compelled to hit the streets in protest of unbridled police power and legalized impunity, the challenge will be how to continue, how to fight on, and even what the fight is.
Some, brokenhearted, will flee this ugly episode and try, perhaps unsuccessfully, to seal such a memory away. Others will grow in radicalism, convinced that this case is the very epitome of racist injustice. But, Ferguson may prove a turning point, a point in time when the nation chose the wrong road ahead. From in prison nation, this is Mumia Abu-Jamal.
These commentaries are recorded by Noel Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
