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| Michael Brown Sr and the society of grieving families | Michael Brown Sr and the society of grieving families |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| One year ago, Michael Brown Jr was killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri. Michael Brown Sr now finds himself one of many parents and children grieving the loss of family members who have died violently and are mourned publicly. | |
| Just after midnight on 9 August 2015 - the anniversary of Michael Brown Jr's death - Michael Brown Sr was at Knockouts Bar & Grill with his wife and their friends. | Just after midnight on 9 August 2015 - the anniversary of Michael Brown Jr's death - Michael Brown Sr was at Knockouts Bar & Grill with his wife and their friends. |
| It was "Viking Night," a periodic gathering of the alumni of Normandy Senior High School, where both Brown Sr and Michael Jr attended. The father graduated in 1997, the son in 2014 - just eight days before he was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson. | It was "Viking Night," a periodic gathering of the alumni of Normandy Senior High School, where both Brown Sr and Michael Jr attended. The father graduated in 1997, the son in 2014 - just eight days before he was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson. |
| Inside the crowded club, Brown Sr can't walk more than a few paces before someone stops him. | Inside the crowded club, Brown Sr can't walk more than a few paces before someone stops him. |
| "Sorry about your son," a woman shouts to him over the thumping music. | "Sorry about your son," a woman shouts to him over the thumping music. |
| Almost everyone wants a picture. | Almost everyone wants a picture. |
| "He's tired of being stopped for photo shoots," says his wife Calvina, Michael Jr's stepmother. "We can't even go to the grocery store." | "He's tired of being stopped for photo shoots," says his wife Calvina, Michael Jr's stepmother. "We can't even go to the grocery store." |
| Brown's death - and the police response to those who protested the killing - kicked off a national dialogue about race, force, and responsibility in the US. Wilson, who has since left the force, was not indicted on any charge, and a Justice Department report found "no evidence" that he had shot at Brown while the teenager was running away or trying to surrender. | Brown's death - and the police response to those who protested the killing - kicked off a national dialogue about race, force, and responsibility in the US. Wilson, who has since left the force, was not indicted on any charge, and a Justice Department report found "no evidence" that he had shot at Brown while the teenager was running away or trying to surrender. |
| It's been a year of violence for the Brown family. They've received death threats - as has just about every public figure involved in the Michael Brown case. | It's been a year of violence for the Brown family. They've received death threats - as has just about every public figure involved in the Michael Brown case. |
| The last time they were at Knockouts to watch a boxing match in November 2014, a bouncer was shot to death by an angry patron ejected earlier in the night. Calvina remembers dropping to the floor as the shots rang out, and how she and Michael Sr had to step over the man's body in order to leave. | The last time they were at Knockouts to watch a boxing match in November 2014, a bouncer was shot to death by an angry patron ejected earlier in the night. Calvina remembers dropping to the floor as the shots rang out, and how she and Michael Sr had to step over the man's body in order to leave. |
| "I was never more scared in my life," she says. | "I was never more scared in my life," she says. |
| Even the memorial weekend isn't peaceful. There are three separate shootings, two on the actual anniversary of Brown Jr's death. In one of the altercations, St Louis police shot an 18-year-old-man, Tyrone Harris. Police say they pursued Harris, who turned and opened fire on the officers. Harris - who is in critical condition at a local hospital - has been charged with assaulting a police officer among other counts. | |
| Since Brown Jr's death, the country has been grappling with questions about when police restraint is necessary, how race plays a role in how the law is enforced and whether access to housing, education and other community support contribute to tension between law enforcement and black Americans. | Since Brown Jr's death, the country has been grappling with questions about when police restraint is necessary, how race plays a role in how the law is enforced and whether access to housing, education and other community support contribute to tension between law enforcement and black Americans. |
| For the past year, Brown Sr has also been grappling with questions, trying to make sense of his son's death and find a way to move forward. | |
| In the weeks leading up to the anniversary weekend, everyone asked what has changed in the last 12 months, and the easiest answer is him. | In the weeks leading up to the anniversary weekend, everyone asked what has changed in the last 12 months, and the easiest answer is him. |
| He's gone from a father mute with grief, unable to speak when cameras were thrust in his face, to an activist, trying to use his new visibility to continue the work of the movement that roared to life last summer. | He's gone from a father mute with grief, unable to speak when cameras were thrust in his face, to an activist, trying to use his new visibility to continue the work of the movement that roared to life last summer. |
| He's the face of the nonprofit Chosen for Change, which aims to engage youth in acts of charity, and the first annual Michael Brown Jr Memorial Weekend put this new role on display. On 6 August, he served the homeless at a shelter in downtown St Louis, on 7 August he hosted a benefit concert. | He's the face of the nonprofit Chosen for Change, which aims to engage youth in acts of charity, and the first annual Michael Brown Jr Memorial Weekend put this new role on display. On 6 August, he served the homeless at a shelter in downtown St Louis, on 7 August he hosted a benefit concert. |
| He has also become a member of a group that grows in number and visibility each week - those who've lost a loved one in high profile incidents with the police. The family of Eric Garner and Oscar Grant spend the weekend in Ferguson. | He has also become a member of a group that grows in number and visibility each week - those who've lost a loved one in high profile incidents with the police. The family of Eric Garner and Oscar Grant spend the weekend in Ferguson. |
| He's expanded his outreach to anyone who has a family member has been killed. On August 8th, he met activists and other families who had suffered the loss of a loved one - sadly those families are not hard to find as St Louis city's homicide rate skyrockets. | He's expanded his outreach to anyone who has a family member has been killed. On August 8th, he met activists and other families who had suffered the loss of a loved one - sadly those families are not hard to find as St Louis city's homicide rate skyrockets. |
| They gather on Canfield Drive, where Michael was shot, and as soon as he arrives, a crush of cameras surrounds Michael Sr. | |
| A newly hired publicist tries to maintain order. Nevertheless, Michael Sr is confident and composed, answering the same questions in interview after interview. | A newly hired publicist tries to maintain order. Nevertheless, Michael Sr is confident and composed, answering the same questions in interview after interview. |
| "Mike Brown means to change the world and help other people, with the body cameras for the police," he tells a news crew. "But at the end of the day, I still lost my boy." | "Mike Brown means to change the world and help other people, with the body cameras for the police," he tells a news crew. "But at the end of the day, I still lost my boy." |
| Then he sets off down the street towards Normandy High School - a 4.5 mile (7.3km) walk in the sweltering St Louis heat, followed by marchers and a youth drum brigade. | Then he sets off down the street towards Normandy High School - a 4.5 mile (7.3km) walk in the sweltering St Louis heat, followed by marchers and a youth drum brigade. |
| Later that night at Knockouts, he says he's exhausted, but satisfied. | Later that night at Knockouts, he says he's exhausted, but satisfied. |
| "I feel like that's something I needed to do, something that Mike Mike would want me to do," he says outside while smoking a cigarette. "I brought all families in to share this day with us." | |
| But several hours later, the upbeat attitude has slipped away. In the morning Michael Sr arrives at a private family prayer breakfast in Florissant church. It's a few short hours until the exact time that the police officer fired 10 rounds at his son. | But several hours later, the upbeat attitude has slipped away. In the morning Michael Sr arrives at a private family prayer breakfast in Florissant church. It's a few short hours until the exact time that the police officer fired 10 rounds at his son. |
| "He don't talk much anyway, but this morning he had very few words," Calvina said. "You could see he was holding back the tears." | "He don't talk much anyway, but this morning he had very few words," Calvina said. "You could see he was holding back the tears." |
| She says she tries to keep him off social media, but he woke up this morning and started rolling through his Facebook feed, seeing the condolences and reading articles posted to his wall. | She says she tries to keep him off social media, but he woke up this morning and started rolling through his Facebook feed, seeing the condolences and reading articles posted to his wall. |
| "They post stuff he doesn't want to see. Some people don't think," she says. | "They post stuff he doesn't want to see. Some people don't think," she says. |
| The Browns serve themselves and their small, rambunctious children - the youngest is 2-years-old - from steam trays full of eggs, bacon, sausages, biscuits, gravy and potatoes. | The Browns serve themselves and their small, rambunctious children - the youngest is 2-years-old - from steam trays full of eggs, bacon, sausages, biscuits, gravy and potatoes. |
| The gathering is mostly immediately family. But it also includes the families of other victims like Oscar Grant and Andrew Joseph III, a 14-year-old who died after he was arrested at the Florida State Fair, then dropped off on the side of the highway. He was struck and killed by an SUV soon after. His mother, father and sister are there for the breakfast. | The gathering is mostly immediately family. But it also includes the families of other victims like Oscar Grant and Andrew Joseph III, a 14-year-old who died after he was arrested at the Florida State Fair, then dropped off on the side of the highway. He was struck and killed by an SUV soon after. His mother, father and sister are there for the breakfast. |
| "It's sobering," says Deanna Joseph of the anniversary of her own son's death. | "It's sobering," says Deanna Joseph of the anniversary of her own son's death. |
| "You go back to what their life was like from the beginning. How you're going to live without them. There's never any comfort. You sometimes play that mind game, like they're in a better place. But that better place is with you." | "You go back to what their life was like from the beginning. How you're going to live without them. There's never any comfort. You sometimes play that mind game, like they're in a better place. But that better place is with you." |
| Michael Sr seems to be thinking those same, sober thoughts. He slept little, and was plagued by the nightmare that visits him most often - he's trying to save Michael Jr, to "stop the hurt and the pain that my son had to endure that day." He woke up with that old feeling, the feeling from the earliest days of this past year. | Michael Sr seems to be thinking those same, sober thoughts. He slept little, and was plagued by the nightmare that visits him most often - he's trying to save Michael Jr, to "stop the hurt and the pain that my son had to endure that day." He woke up with that old feeling, the feeling from the earliest days of this past year. |
| "I'm angry, actually, very angry," he says. "Got to re-live this whole moment again. | "I'm angry, actually, very angry," he says. "Got to re-live this whole moment again. |
| He sometimes has good dreams, ones where he gets to talk to his late son. He won't go into detail about their conversations. | He sometimes has good dreams, ones where he gets to talk to his late son. He won't go into detail about their conversations. |
| "One thing I can say is he told me he's OK," he says. | "One thing I can say is he told me he's OK," he says. |
| Calvina and Michael Sr gather all eight of their kids in their Suburban and lead a caravan of vehicles from the church to Ferguson. A stream of people is heading down Canfield Drive when they arrive - there are already hundreds gathered at the spot where Michael Jr fell. | Calvina and Michael Sr gather all eight of their kids in their Suburban and lead a caravan of vehicles from the church to Ferguson. A stream of people is heading down Canfield Drive when they arrive - there are already hundreds gathered at the spot where Michael Jr fell. |
| It is difficult to say if police shootings are on the rise, because they are poorly tracked. | It is difficult to say if police shootings are on the rise, because they are poorly tracked. |
| But the world is much more aware of these shootings now that cell phone cameras have put power in the hands of civilians. The families of those killed are also increasingly becoming a unified front. Their grief puts a human face to the issue, and more and more they are appearing together at events like this weekend's anniversary. | But the world is much more aware of these shootings now that cell phone cameras have put power in the hands of civilians. The families of those killed are also increasingly becoming a unified front. Their grief puts a human face to the issue, and more and more they are appearing together at events like this weekend's anniversary. |
| In the parking lot behind the Canfield Green Apartments, Calvina and Michael change into white "Chosen 4 Change" T-shirts and khaki shorts - a representation of the outfit that Michael Jr was wearing when he died. | In the parking lot behind the Canfield Green Apartments, Calvina and Michael change into white "Chosen 4 Change" T-shirts and khaki shorts - a representation of the outfit that Michael Jr was wearing when he died. |
| And then under a sun about as punishing as the one that beat down on their son's body that awful day, they link arms and head into the crowd of hundreds waiting to see them, film them, record and photograph this intensely personal moment. | And then under a sun about as punishing as the one that beat down on their son's body that awful day, they link arms and head into the crowd of hundreds waiting to see them, film them, record and photograph this intensely personal moment. |
| There's a long list of speakers. Erica Garner, Eric Garner's daughter, is among them. Cornel West shows up in the crowd. The four-and-a-half minutes of silence to represent the four-and-a-half hours that Michael Jr lay in the street is disturbed by the loud whirring of a drone someone is flying low overhead. | There's a long list of speakers. Erica Garner, Eric Garner's daughter, is among them. Cornel West shows up in the crowd. The four-and-a-half minutes of silence to represent the four-and-a-half hours that Michael Jr lay in the street is disturbed by the loud whirring of a drone someone is flying low overhead. |
| When Michael Sr gets to the microphone he still seems angry and his remarks are short. He has the same heavy lidded expression he had in photographs from a year ago. But he ends on a positive note. | When Michael Sr gets to the microphone he still seems angry and his remarks are short. He has the same heavy lidded expression he had in photographs from a year ago. But he ends on a positive note. |
| "Y'all my world," he says to his newfound supporters. "Y'all made this happen for us." | "Y'all my world," he says to his newfound supporters. "Y'all made this happen for us." |
| "Nobody knows what he goes through on a daily basis," says Calvina. "Some people can mourn in private. A normal family can. But he has to try to mourn and grieve in front of the world." | "Nobody knows what he goes through on a daily basis," says Calvina. "Some people can mourn in private. A normal family can. But he has to try to mourn and grieve in front of the world." |