Black power comes to STL County Why the Fannie Lou Hamer Democratic Coalition endorsement of Rick Stream matters
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St. LouiS AmericAn The
CAC Audited OCTOBER 16 – 22, 2014
Vol. 85 No. 28 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
Cornel West, clergy arrested in Ferguson
Protestors present demands at STL City Hall Slay out of office for medical procedure, youth arrested for holding banner By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American
Photo by Wiley Price
‘We’re here because we love the young folk,’ he tells Ferguson police By Bridjes O’Neil Of The St. Louis American Moral Monday – the final day in the Weekend of Resistance, also known as Ferguson October – began with an act of civil disobedience led by local and national faith leaders of diverse backgrounds. Participants first gathered at the Wellspring Church, 33 S Florissant Rd., before marching to the Ferguson Police Department. Denise Lieberman, an attorney with the Advancement Project and co-chair of the Don’t Shoot Coalition, addressed clergy and protestors inside the small church. Lieberman told the group that their direct action was modeled after
North Carolina’s “Moral Monday” movement. The clergy-led movement, which includes a broad base of citizens, developed as a result of people’s discontent with the actions of their government. “It’s multi-racial and multi-class,” Lieberman said. “It’s black and white. Rich and poor. Young and old. Gay and straight.” She brought greetings from the Rev. William J. Barber II, head of the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP and organizer of the “Moral Monday” movement, who was unable to attend the protest. “He encourages us to protest today See WEST, A6
See CITY HALL, A6
For an act of civil disobedience, Dr. Cornel West was arrested at the Ferguson Police Department at 12:20 p.m. Monday, October 13. A group of 13 individuals, mostly clergy, were charged with third-degree assault of a law enforcement officer and disturbing the peace. Photo by Lawrence Bryant
‘These kids were scared, so they ran’
By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
VonDerrit Myers Jr. could make anyone laugh, and he was wise for his 18 years, his father, VonDerrit Myers Sr., said in an interview with The St. Louis American. “I called him an ‘old man’ because he had the knowledge of an older person,” VonDerrit Sr. said. “He always drew the attention of older people. He was very intelligent, and he loved to read. He’d
‘We’re fighting for our lives’ Thousands march against police brutality in St. Louis By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American
read anything.” In January, VonDerrit Jr. would have graduated from Gateway STEM High School, but on October 8, an off-duty St. Louis police officer shot and killed him in the Shaw neighborhood, where he lived with his grandmother. “I always told him that I wanted to see him become a family man and see what it would be like watching myself all over again,” VonDerritt Sr. said.
“People have been saying that this generation is dead and useless – and that they weren’t about anything. But I never gave up on them,” said legendary St. Louis activist Percy Green II. “Certain things come along and they trigger one’s consciousness – and this is what we get.” Even though he was far from the front as more than 3,000 marched down Market Street on Saturday morning as part of what is now known as Ferguson October, Green was hard to miss. As the sea of people marched towards Kiener Plaza, he gleamed like a proud father, nodding with approval as protestors chanted, showcasing a permanent grin. “I knew that it was just a matter of time before something like this would occur, because history has dictated that for us,” Green said. “It’s just like we know rain comes from a cloud – it doesn’t come from a clear blue sky – but every cloud doesn’t bring rain. Sooner or later, the
See SHOOTING, A6
See MARCH, A7
VonDerrit Myers Jr.’s family responds to police version of fatal shooting
VonDerrit Myers Sr. and Syreeta Myers, the parents of VonDerrit Myers Jr., mourned their son at a vigil in the Shaw neighborhood of South St. Louis on Sunday, October 12.
About 100 youth stormed St. Louis City Hall demanding to speak with Mayor Francis Slay about implementing a civilian review board and body cameras for police on Monday, October 13. They also demanded that there be an independent review for all “police shootings,” and that the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department refrain from participating in federal programs that offer police agencies military equipment for free or at a discount. The protesters held up three white 30-foot banners with bold black letters that stated, “We are the people. We have the power;” “Be accountable or be gone” and “Which side are you on.” Young activist Kennard Williams yelled from