Souls of Ferguson. A Photographic Essay From the Ground

Ferguson, Missouri: the infamous town where young Michael Brown was shot to death by a police officer.

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“It’s a hot day and I’m just doin’ what I can.” A man passed out water bottles to protestors on a scorching summer day.

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“I been out here every day since the shooting.”

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“THE LAW HAS TO BE THE SAME FOR EVERYONE.” These two men were chatting and became quick friends while protesting in front of the Ferguson police department.

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It’s important for him to be a part of this.” A teacher in the Ferguson Florissant School District brought her 16-year-old son to protest.

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“Tensions between the Ferguson Police and local citizens are at an all time high. The police in Ferguson are mostly Caucasian, while the citizens are majorly African American. Police patrol the streets of West Florissant as protestors march and chant.

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“Hey Hey Ho Ho These Killa Cops They Gotta Go”

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“We don’t stick up for each other. We don’t stand up, we don’t rise together. We rise apart.” – Chamaya Johnson

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“NO MORE PIGS IN OUR COMMUNITY.” Graffiti in front of the quick trip that was burned to the ground by rioters.

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“Make sure you got my sign. That’s all that matters.”

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“It was murder.”

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“You’re never too young to protest.”

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“Don’t shoot. Black men are people too!” Does the color of your skin really matter?

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“You’ve killed our kind “for” years but won’t sacrifice one cop for justice and to save a community and their businesses!”

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“It’s got to go through education. It’s got to go through stickin’ together.” – Nelly

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“A lot of parents aren’t steppin’ up to the plate to make sure that our kids are stayin’ in school and learnin’ what they need to learn instead of being in the streets.” – Nelly

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“We gotta work together.” -Nelly

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Marching with Nelly

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Young boys playing basketball in the street just one street down from where Michael Brown was shot.

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The community has built a memorial in the spot where Michael Brown was left dead.

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America: the cries don’t stop just because we stopped listening…”

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Kids play around the site where Michael Brown was killed.

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“This is my son and this is the reason why I’m out here. He wanted to bring some teddy bears out here. He’s real sentimental about things like this. He’s questioning me about it. I just try to do my best. I try to keep him away from a lot of this because he’s so young but just still keep him educated about it.”

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Seen on the intersection of Canfield Drive and Caddiefield Road.

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The intersection where Brown’s life was taken away.

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“I came from Detroit just for this situation. I’m here because justice needs to be served. I have two son’s of my own in there 30’s. When they were in their teens they went through the same thing with discrimination. Walking down the street trying to get home and an officer of Washtenaw County asked him “Where you join?’ My son said “I’m goin’ home.” This could’ve happened to my son. It’s the stuff that a lot of the African American young men go through it’s not right, it’s not even reasonable. It happens everywhere, not just in St. Louis.” – Debbie Williams.

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“It could’ve been my son. I’m nervous for their future. I’m nervous for y’all’s future and I don’t even know you.”

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Ready to take over the streets after dusk

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A passerby noted: “there’s too many of us dying in the hands of police officers. And nothings been done about it.”

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A passerby noted: “You train your officers to shoot to kill when there’s really no reason for it. And I would know, my dad’s a police officer. He’s out there right now.”

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