ST. LOUIS (August 7, 2024) — Aug. 9 marks 10 years since Michael Brown Jr. was fatally shot by a Ferguson police officer. The killing sparked unrest, activism and demands for reform both locally and nationally.
At a public event near the epicenter of the unrest, NPR Morning Edition host Michel Martin will lead a conversation with panelists and community members where we hope to look back and forward; to talk about what happened and why, and what has — and hasn’t — changed in the last 10 years.
#Ferguson and Beyond: A Community Conversation 10 Years Later will be hosted by St. Louis Public Radio in collaboration with NPR to offer the public an opportunity for reflection and thoughtful discussion.
This conversation comes nine years after a four-hour long discussion with Martin, STLPR, and more than 200 people at Wellspring Church in Ferguson.
"The powerful community discussions Michel Martin led in Ferguson a decade ago were a breakthrough for many in the St. Louis region who sought to make sense of deep community pain, turmoil, and misunderstanding,” said STLPR Interim News Director Brian Heffernan. “This event is part of St. Louis Public Radio’s ongoing commitment to fostering meaningful discussions that get to the heart of our region’s core challenges and solutions. Michel is uniquely qualified to moderate this conversation 10 years later, and I’m thrilled to have her back.”
“I was honored to have taken part in the community’s conversations ten years ago and I often think about the people I met and what they had to say to me and to each other,” Martin said. “I know those conversations have never stopped, so I was equally honored to have been invited to come back to help keep the conversations going.”
Event details
#Ferguson and Beyond: A Community Conversation 10 Years Later
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024
Greater St. Mark Family Church | 9950 Glen Owen Dr, St. Louis, MO 63136
Doors open to the public at 6:30 p.m.
Discussion begins at 7 p.m.
Admission is free; no registration required
How to listen
Highlights of #Ferguson and Beyond will air on St. Louis on the Air on Friday, Aug. 9 at noon and 7 p.m. on 90.7 KWMU and at stlpr.org.
In recognition of the 10-year anniversary of events in Ferguson, portions of the discussion will also be made available to NPR Member stations across the country to broadcast.
Michel Martin is also planning to broadcast Morning Edition live from St. Louis on Tuesday, August 6, Wednesday, Aug. 7 and Friday, Aug. 9 to coincide with the community event. NPR's morning drivetime news magazine Morning Edition ranks #1 among national news/talk-radio programs and is carried by 843 public radio stations nationwide.
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About St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Public Radio (STLPR) is a non-profit media organization, delivering accuracy and understanding. Its team of local reporters and producers push the boundaries of storytelling, bringing context and humanity to the issues and ideas that affect life in the metro region, Rolla, Quincy and rural areas in Missouri and Illinois. Reflecting the voices of the community, STLPR engages in crucial conversations that bring people together. With award-winning local news coverage, original podcasts, jazz and classical music channels, and national and international news from NPR and the BBC, STLPR is a listener-supported service of theUniversity of Missouri-St. Louis.
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