Today marks two years since 18-year-old Mike Brown was fatally gunned down in the street by Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson following a confrontation between the two. Brown was unarmed when he was shot multiple times by former officer Wilson and had his hands up in an attempt to surrended, according to witnesses.
In the time since Mike Brown’s senseless killing, there have been many other officer-involved killings of unarmed Black men. Mike Brown’s mother Lezley McSpadden has become a leading face in the fight for justice for her son and others like him, joining forces with other mothers of sons whose lives were cut short at the hands of police. Lezley has also written a book in memory of Mike to share their story with the world and let others in on who the teen really was as a person, while also opening up about fond memories of their time together during his 18 years of life.
As we honor Mike Brown’s memory today and continue to push forward in the ongoing pursuit of justice against police brutality in the Black community, we’d like to take a look back to remember Lezley McSpadden’s powerful words spoken at the 2016 ESSENCE Festival. Hear her remarks in the video below.