As the family of Michael Brown, the 18-year-old unarmed African-American youth who was gunned down by a police officer in the state of Missouri last Saturday, grapple with his death, the incident has again initiated uncomfortable questions about the status and plight of African-Americans in US society.
Brown’s bereaved family are looking for answers. The police have confirmed that they too are looking for intentions that sparked this controversy. In doing so, they may have committed a procedural lapse, in the eyes of the public, by not naming the officer who shot the boy. This strengthens the racial argument for the residents.
By all accounts, the officer was white. The town of Ferguson, where the incident took place, has undergone a dramatic demographic shift from a majority of white residents to mostly black residents. The population of the town is two-thirds black. The local police force is made up of 53 officers, three of whom are black. Clearly, the question of inclusivity will raise its head. Brown was also unarmed — another component in the problem that could cause the establishment to squirm while they try to come up with plausible arguments.
Racial divisions have widened. The violence must stop. There must also be a quick and effective probe into the incident. More importantly, however, those who uphold the law must be seen to be doing and saying the right thing when dealing with such a sensitive issue.
