Reflections on #Ferguson: What Brought You to the Movement?-Part 2

Last updated on: April 29, 2015 at 7:31 pm by Guest Contributor

Reflections on #Ferguson: What Brought You to the Movement?-Part 2 2015-04-29T19:31:38-05:00 Guest Contributor

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by Andre E. Johnson

R3 Editor

The week of January 11-16, 2015, I taught an immersion class in Ferguson, Missouri. These are some of my reflections of that week. See Part 1 here

I hear my neighbor crying, “I can’t breathe”

Now I’m in the struggle, and I can’t leave.-Ferguson Protest Song

We arrived at Eden Theological Seminary Sunday evening January 11. After settling in our rooms, we then prepared for the 15-minute ride to Ferguson, Missouri where we were to meet some of the activists and protesters for dinner at the Ferguson Brewery. We wanted to hear stories and reflection from people who were there the first days and nights after the killing of Mike Brown. Our host, Deb Krause, contacted a couple of people to come and share their stories and experiences of events after the death of Mike Brown. Those invited brought others—and along with our class and a friend and colleague from Harris Stowe State University, Reynaldo Anderson, little did I know we were in for a good time of food, fun, fellowship, and some fussing!

First, we met Rev. Dr. F. Willis Johnson, pastor of the WellSpring Church in Ferguson. Before the aftermath of Mike Brown’s death, Pastor Johnson had already been involved with faith-based initiatives that focused on HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, and addiction ministries. Therefore, when the events unfolded in Ferguson, this was a natural extension of his ministry. He shared with us how he was “in the streets” with the protesters and how he wanted to let them know that he “affirms” them. He believed that those who were angry had the right to be and that right needed affirmation. There is a powerful picture of Pastor Johnson ministering with one of the protesters Joshua Wilson (who Pastor Johnson did not know at the time) in the street right in the middle of protest.

We then met Bishop Derrick Robinson, the presiding Bishop of Kingdom Destiny Fellowship—a fast growing pastoral fellowship with over 150 pastors. He too was there in the streets with young protesters and shared a story of how other ministers did not look favorably upon his action in the street. Some local ministers still shun him and say that as the presiding Bishop of his fellowship, he should not be out in the streets with protesters. However, not only has he been out in the street, Bishop has organized many of the protests still that continue today. I will share more about this in an upcoming post.

However, the highlight for me was when everyone shared from a question I posed to them—what brought you to the movement? I asked because there had been other shootings, there had been other abuses and atrocities, there had been other times when injustice happened in the street, so why now? I wanted to know what made this time so special.

When the people began to share their stories, they sounded familiar. No, not familiar in that I heard these particular stories before—after all, I just met these people. The stories sounded familiar because I have heard them before—I even have shared stories like this. What the people around the table shared were “call stories”—there on personal call stories. When asked what brought you to the movement, each person answered as if they felt called, pulled, “something moved me in that direction.

For instance, one person knew that when the protest started, protesters would be hungry and needed to eat. So without getting anyone permission, she created her own outdoor diner for hungry protesters. Another person, who felt the push to get involved resisted at first. She gave any and every excuse she could find not to get out in the street and protest. However, after finally agreeing to take a safe approach and deliver water to protesters and activists, police tear-gassed her and her friends. Standing in the midst of tear gas, rubbing her eyes so that she could see where to run, she realized that being a student, being gainfully employed and not wanting to start any trouble—with all of that going for her, she realized that she too was not safe. More importantly, she realized that the people who she attempted to bring water to were never safe. It was at that moment that she acquiesce to that feeling and joined the movement. She is so much involved that she has now quit her job to begin work full time in the movement.

Yet another after getting the call that police shot and killed Mike Brown, came to console family members but when she saw Mike Brown’s dead body, it had a profound impact on her. As she shared with us, she had never seen a dead body “out like that” before. To see his body lay on the ground, to see Mike Brown’s family and friends distraught, to see the community in an uproar and to reflect on her own 2-year old son and the future he will have, all of this affected her like never before. She later felt the need just to sit down and by sitting down at the police station that day, she, in essence stood up and found herself in the movement. Today as I write this, this same person, college student, mom, and young activist goes all over the world sharing her story and learning from others who are in the midst of the struggle.

After listening to these and others stories about the early days of the movement, I begin to realize something. First, despite feelings to the contrary, this is a movement, a movement that is not going away anytime soon—and a movement with spiritual overtones. Even though from many of the young protesters there is a healthy suspicion and distrust aimed at religious institutions, from listening to these call stories, I sensed a deep spirituality. Call makes you get up and go out again. Call gives you hope and strength.

Second, again even with the heavy suspicion of religious institutions, there were clergy still there on the ground with protesters. These clergy provided not only support but also help with understanding of the times. Third, despite the differences between the 60’s Civil Rights movement and today’s movement, there are MANY similarities. There is internal strife—just like in the 60’s. There is a generational divide—just like in the 60’s. There is distrust just like in the 60’s. There was even disagreement this night at the table, but we were all still there—listening and learning.

After our time at Ferguson Brewery—yes, we closed it down, some of us went across the street to another pub and continued our discussion. When we started to head back to Eden Seminary, one of the students asked what time tomorrow morning does class start. I paused and said, we meet at 9:00am, but class has already started.

To be Continued………

Follow Andre on Twitter @aejohnsonphd

Read Part 3 here

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