[Oe List ...] OE Digest, Vol 41, Issue 4

Sun Aug 9 20:36:37 PDT 2015

Thanks Ellie and Carlton.  Keep up the work.  Expenditure after all is the only message that matters!

j'aime la vie
yesterday, appreciate; tomorrow, anticipate; today, participate! in all, celebrate!

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Sent: Sun, Aug 9, 2015 3:38 am
Subject: OE Digest, Vol 41, Issue 4

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Today's Topics:

   1. Ferguson Ohroncles:  Anniversary
Weekend Update
      (Ellie Stock via
OE)

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Message:
1
Date: Sat, 8 Aug 2015 12:57:03 -0400
From: Ellie Stock via OE
<oe at lists.wedgeblade.net>
To: dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net,
oe at lists.wedgeblade.net
Subject: [Oe List ...] Ferguson Ohroncles:  Anniversary
Weekend Update
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Hi folks,

Greetings from the Ferguson/Dellwood
area.

This is the anniversary weekend of the death of Michael Brown in
Ferguson and various groups are hosting a multitude of events and
activities--most trying to focus on healing, unity, etc. without forgetting the
reason for the commemoration: 

I just returned from a 4-mile personal
pilgrimage loop walk from our house: east on Chambers (a major site of fires and
looting; south on West Florissant, passed empty lots where buildings had been
burned during the August and November protests following Michael Brown's death;
passed Canfield Street where Michael Brown was shot (temporary memorabilia
memorials in the middle of street and sidewalk now replaced by sidewalk plaques
of Michael Brown and a dove); passed the Ferguson Market where he was before the
shooting, west on Ferguson Avenue passed Forestwood Park (site of demonstrations
and later The Day of Hope event for the community); cutting over to S.
Florissant Avenue (location of the Ferguson Police Dept. site of
demonstrations); north on S. Florrisant to the Farmer's Market where, at one of
the booths, the author is selling her book Painting for Peace in Ferguson;
proceeding north passed many of the businesses that had been vandalized and,
later, had their boarded up
  windows and doors "painted for peace" by local
artists.

Lectures, marches, demonstrations, seminars, concerts, conferences,
worship services, prayer vigils, civil disobedience demonstrations, started more
than a week ago and are coming to a head this weekend. 

Groups include:      

 -Ferguson Action Council [Coalition of: Don't Shoot Coalition, Hands Up
United, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Ferguson Action, Missourians Organizing
for Reform and Empowerment (MORE), Organization for Black Struggle (OBS),
Operation Help or Hush, Socialist Alternative and Tribe X] 
-Chosen for Change 

 -MCU, A Weekend of Reflection and Challenge; Sacred Conversations            

-OneFerguson:  Truth and Reconciation Conversations                           

 -All of Us                                            
 -Ferguson
Ministerial Alliance                                            
 -Billy Graham

-City of Ferguson Weekend of Unity: events at the Community Center and at
January Wabash Park.                                        
 -Special TV and
radio program features--retrospectives of the past year, etc. 
-Ferguson
Commission meeting with MO Gov. Nixon.

In addition, grants have been made to
businesses to help them rebuild and re-open--some are having their grand
re-openings this weekend.  Grants are also being made to help develop the whole
West Florissant business area.  Starbucks announced it is building store on W.
Florissant that will be 300-400 feet bigger than their normal stores so that
staff and local groups can use it to mentor local youth.  Some businesses haves
boarded up again for the weekend as there have been rumors of many protesters
from outside the area coming to Ferguson.

Yesterday Carleton and I attended
the St. Louis County NAACP Brunch at Florissant Valley Community College.  They
released an announcement about a program for family courts in light of the
troubling findings of the July 31 US Department of Justice Investigation of the
St. Louis Family Court.  The DOJ report indicates a very disproportionate lack
of legal representation for African American Children compared to that of white
children.  This is another example of systemic racism in the St. Louis area.  
The St. Louis County NAACP will work with local attorneys to provide a pro-bono
representation on a pro-bono basis for children needing representation in the
St. Louis Family Courts.  Present at the event:  many politicos, reps of the
Highway Patrol, County Police, Community College, businesses, churches, Benjamin
Crump (Attorney for the Brown Family). Ferguson Mayor Knowles and the new
interim Ferguson City Manager and Police Chief (both African American), and
Michael Brown' fa
 ther and rep. from his foundation to help children.

Mayor
Knowles listed some of the progress since last August:
-Newly Council: 3
African Americans, 3 whites
-Civilian review board in progress
-Body cameras
for all officers
-Court reforms regarding decreasing collection of
revenue
-New model for community policing--officers into the community
-Modify
process of paying court debt:  payment plans or community service
-Support of
businesses in area
-Creation of W. Florissant Business Association
-Police
Training (re-training)--have done 2, will soon do a 3rd.
He concluded that
progress is not a destination but a direction and that he and the Council are
committed to continuing reforms for the future of Ferguson.

This morning a
prayer vigil was held on Canfield, followed by a march to Normandy High School
(from which Michael Brown graduated) where activities are planned.

Groups
have tents set up on West Florissant to talk with those present for these
events.  Carleton will be helping with two of them: Ferguson Ministerial
Alliance and OneFerguson.

Sunday morning there will be another prayer vigil
on Canfield, followed by a silent march to a church where a rally will be held. 
Other groups are holding a couple other worship services in the
afternoon.

Monday is a day of civil disobedience (no time or specifics
announced yet).                          

Last week the Ferguson Council
voted unanimously to not agree with the Dept. of Justice Report related to
Ferguson, saying that it was financially impossible to implement, and they are
asking the DOJ for more time to come up with an alternative plan.  We'll
see...

Hoping the weekend remains peaceful and non-destructive.  It would be
difficult for the communities to survive a third round of violence. 

Reporting live and hopeful for the Ferguson
Chronicles...

Ellie
elliestock at aol.com                                      

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